Death's Pale Court
by Tainted Blood Lust
Summary: Abandoned until further notice! Read at your own risk...
1. Transversing Universes

Death's Pale Court – Transversing Universes

TBL: Hey, y'all. TBL here AGAIN. Hope you like it... I'm really defiling fanfiction here.

This is a fiction from a challenge made by the lovely KingofLoosePages. The challenge is as follows:

-Harry Potter/Naruto Crossover

-Harry/Deidara

Harry gets arrested, make up your own reason why, but escapes before he can be sent to Azkaban. Somehow he finds his way to the Hidden Countries and ends up working as a lone Jack of all Trades for hire. He ends up eventually being hired to work with someone from Akatsuki on a mission that needs his specific skills. Meanwhile, in the wizarding world, people are frantically searching for their savior because of the looming threat of a dark lord. The rest is for you to figure out.

-The person from Akatsuki can be Deidara, but it doesn't have to be. Just the pairing.

-Can have an animagus form

-If Voldemort is dead, another dark lord HAS to take his place

-Try not to make Harry a weak uke, strive for a strong seme, but if you can't don't make him weak

Now, I stray away from this a bit, but I'm sure it's okay.

**Summary**: "The very earth trembles in his wake."

After almost being arrested by the Ministry, Harry is caught by dementors eventually. Instead of hurting him, they send him to another world. A nameless world with Hidden Countries. Coming upon Konoha after a rather interesting meeting with a demon, he starts to carve out his destiny. After being cast out of the village, he turns to doing jobs for random people all over. Then, he gets offered a position in the Akatsuki.

**Warnings**: slash, sex, swearing, violence, rape? (not on Harry, of course), torture, bestiality?, cannibalism? (I'm leaning more towards yes than no), anything I can think of

**Pairings** (dominant to least dominant): (past) Sasori x Deidara, Harry (Raidon) x Orochimaru x Deidara, Harry x OC?

**Disclaimer**: I, Tainted Blood Lust, do not own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter. They belong to their respective owners. I _DO_ however own this plot. Please, no stealing.

This will be where my darker muses come out and play. **PLEASE** proceed with caution.

X

"To that high Capital, where kingly Death

Keeps his pale court in beauty and decay,

He came."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

X

Ron, Hermoine, and the other stopped at a tank. It was filled with deep-green water, big enough for all of them to swim in. Harry could vaguely see white shapes floating in it from his position. He hung back from the others, although he didn't know why. It was an instinct of some sort. Harry looked around him while the others whispered amongst themselves.

"What're those things?" That was Ron. Harry gave the room another glance. Next to him on a wall was an ornate staff in a glass case. He moved closer, as if a stranger in his own body. He marveled at the intricate details. A sudden urge to take it gripped him, and he didn't resist.

After all, what harm could it possibly do?

Glancing around rapidly to see if the others were still distracted, he vanished the glass and quickly pulled the staff out. He shrunk it with a whispered spell and put it in the pocket of his robes. He looked up to see that they had just opened a door to get out and ran over to them.

He had a godfather to save.

X

Harry saw red. She killed Sirius! A spell came to mind and he used it without hesitation.

"CRUCIO!" he roared. LeStrange fell to the floor when the spell hit her. She twitched mildly then turned to face Harry.

"Little bitty Potter could cast a Crucio." She cackled madly.

"Could he?," she said with a maniacal grin. Her taunts, if possible, made Harry even angrier.

"_Crucio_," he hissed, unknowingly sounding eerily like Voldemort. Her back arched, and the screams bounced off the walls, sweet music to Harry's ears. LeStrange's evil grin seemed to have transferred to Harry's own lips.

Unbeknown to the two, the Minister had just ran in, alerted by the screams. One of his many devices for the Ministry had told him that there were unwelcome visitors in the building. Fudge's eyes widened when he saw the scene going on between Potter and LeStrange. He should arrest Potter for that!

"Potter!" Fudge exclaimed.

Harry snapped out of it and turned to face the other. This gave LeStrange enough time to scramble to a floo. Just before she got there though, Harry whirled around, wand out.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he shouted. The green ray shot towards the witch, and she slumped to the ground, dead. The Minister's eyes were wide, and his jaw was open. Just then, two aurors came running in, slightly out of breath.

"Minister!" one cried.

"H-h-he KILLED her!" Fudge said, pointing at Harry. "Arrest him, Thompson!"

Harry started to panic. They were going to arrest him! Couldn't they hear the sounds of Dumbledore and Voldemort dueling?

The three moved forward, and Harry wished he was anywhere _but_ here. A sound like a clap of thunder sounded, and the trio had to close their eyes and cover their ears. They opened them soon after. Only to discover that Harry Potter was gone.

X

Harry looked around at his new surroundings. He was back at number 4 Privet Drive.

How did he end up here?

He must have had a subconscious... Well, he _did_ feel a force bringing him here...

The book!

Suddenly, he was glad he was here. Well, somewhat. He still hated the Dursleys with every fiber f his being. No matter, he had to get his possessions and leave as soon as possible. He took long strides to the door and knocked just to annoy his aunt.

Freaks shouldn't touch her door, as everyone else did, after all. They didn't want his germs.

Harry curled his lip in disgust, remembering the lecture. No one answered after a minute, and he entered.

"I'm home!" he called. Petunia, housewife that she was, was still in the house. She squeaked and dropped something with a _crash_. She came over to the door entrance where Harry was standing.

She growled. He smiled with false sweetness.

"I've come for some things," he said.

"Take it!" she hissed lowly. "And get out of here too!"

He gave a shark's grin. "Will do."

Harry climbed up the creaky steps, taking his time and stepping on the noisiest steps. Eventually he reached his room. He studied the numerous locks. Simply waving his hand, Harry unlocked them all, all at once. He sauntered in, feeling proud, and squatted by the loose floorboard where he kept his most precious things. He lifted it to reveal only two books. One was a thin red book with no title. It was his journal. The other was large and black, obviously older. Its golden title stood out ominously.

_Road to Perdition_.

Harry took both of them under his arm and quickly went back to the door, realizing his time was almost at an end in the house. He was almost out the door when he heard Petunia mutter something.

"Good for nothing bastard of a freak..."

His eyes narrowed and chilled. He stared her down, seemingly piercing her very soul. Before she knew it, she had a blood red gun sticking into her stomach. She looked down, and her eyes widened in fear. He nudged her slightly, and she backed away.

Then hit the wall.

Still staring into his eyes, Petunia felt the gun warming up for some odd reason. Then, he said those damning words.

"Avada Kedavra."

After she fell to the ground with glassy eyes, much like LeStrange, Harry turned and walked calmly out of there. He then apparated away with a loud _crack_. As the neighbors came out to see what the sound was, an eagle owl flew to the window with a Ministry missive. Its wise golden eyes took in the scene, and gave a soft _hoot_.

X

Harry arrived at Grimmuald Place after appartating. He couldn't think of a safer place to stay while on the run. Ever since visiting Gringotts and finding out he had inherited it from Sirius (seeing as he was a convict at the time), he had booted the Order of the Phoenix (Dumbledore's little secret rebellion group, his familiar had told him) out of there. He laughed as he walked in. They _still_ didn't know why they couldn't remember where their headquarter was. He was glad in a sense, he was told about the group before he went to school.

The house's magic reached out to see if it was really the Master of the house (all others had the magic sucked out of them and were thrown out). It deemed him satisfactory, but the magic still clung to him like a cloak.

"Yes," he said, stretching, "It's good to be back."

He sat on a couch and sighed in contentment.

"Kreacher!" he barked suddenly. A _pop_ was heard, and then a small, ugly creature appeared. Trembling, it bowed with its long ears falling to cover its face.

"What can Kreacher be doing for Master Potter-Black, sir?" Harry considered all the things he needed and then nodded to himself.

"Kreacher, fetch me writing materials and make a nice meal also." Harry thought for a bit while Kreacher waited, obviously anticipating the move. "And make sure to get my trunk from Hogwarts as well as anything I own there."

He leaned forward menacingly. "_Do __**not**__ let yourself be seen by __**anyone**_."

"If Master wishes it, it shall be done," Kreacher intoned, almost fearfully, then _popp_ed back out.

Harry sighed. He had a lot of work to do.

X

It had been a whole month since Harry Potter had 'mysteriously vanished' from the Wizarding World. The wizard in question was currently sitting at his kitchen table reading the _Daily Prophet_ article about him and his 'heinous deeds'. He chuckled, the Wizarding World was so fickle. He quickly finished his breakfast and then got up. He had some business to attend to in Knocturne Alley. He grabbed the leather jacket he had found in Sirius' room. He also put on his cloak and pulled the hood up so only his Avada Kedavra green eyes showed. Before he could forget, he grabbed the mysterious staff he had found at the Ministry. He trusted his instincts that were telling him to take it for some reason. He walked out of the house and then quietly apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. Ignoring the suspicious glances, he pushed some magic into his fingers and tapped the bricks.

He swiftly passed the people milling around to go to the darker alley. The wizards and witches here never spared him a glance. He walked into an unused side street and checked to see if anyone was around . Finding no one, he tugged on the bond in his mind and spoke in Umbran, "_**Judas**_."

The shadows gathered and quickly formed a shape. It removed itself from the shadows and floated towards Harry. He smiled a little and reached out his hand to pet the small creature covered in cloth.

"I knew you needed to get out, Judas," he said with a fond look, this time in English. "Come, let's go scare them."

Judas let out a rattling sound, and Harry knew his familiar was excited. Harry walked out of the side street and stalked purposefully towards a small store hidden in the shadows of the alley. Above it was a picture of two wands crossed. The door creaked as he opened it.

"Someone should have that fixed," Harry muttered to himself.

A head peaked out from behind one of the many shelves filled with wands.

"Ah! A costumer I see!" she exclaimed. She said nothing about the weird staff he already had that practically _emitted_ power. She went back to the shelves and stood there, staring at the wands and contemplating which one to pick up. Harry interrupted her, "I need a custom-made wand."

She gasped, and then the wand maker eyed him critically. "You sure you have the money, kid?"

"Of course," he replied. She stared at him again, her gaze piercing, much like his own. Her eyes widened minutely. She looked fine to the untrained eye, but Harry could see that she was trembling the slightest bit.

"Come back later," she commanded, her voice as hard as steel.

"_Excuse_ me?" he asked. She glared at him darkly.

"Go."

He smiled maliciously.

"_**Judas**_," he called once again. His little familiar came forward to hover next to him. Her eyed widened to epic proportions.

"Y-y-you-" He cut her off sharply.

"The wand." The air got colder as Judas responded to his Master's emotions. She swallowed audibly before quickly nodding her head.

"Come with me to the back then," she said shakily. He followed her as she went to another room, Judas trailing along behind. The room the trio entered was quite large and held various types of woods in all shapes and sizes as well as many shelves filly with core ingredients.

"Close your eyes," the wand maker instructed. "Now, reach out your magic and pick up whatever suits you best."

Harry did exactly that, trusting Judas to harm her if necessary. He walked around, almost blindly, to grab items. He fell out of his trance when he had grabbed everything and then looked at his items. He held what looked like a spine, a small ceramic jar, another one with something floating in liquid, and a slab of iridescent green metal lay at his feet. She stared at him, amazed by the choices and yet at the primal sense of fear. She then snapped out of her shock.

"Let's see," she said, examining the items, "We have here a human spine, the soul of an Egyptian priest-" She pointed at the black ceramic jar. "-the eye of a baby Basilisk-" A jab of the finger at the other container. "-and... I have no idea what kind of metal this is..."

"Just make it," Harry said. She nodded then went to a large cauldron with a clear bubbling liquid.

"Put them in there," she said. He put each in with care, taking the closed eye out of the jar and throwing the soul in, still in its jar. "Now, we wait."

They stared at it in rapt attention for several minutes before something happened. The clear mixture suddenly turned onyx black and thickened, resembling tar. White fog spilled out and rapidly filled the room. The wand maker looked at it in open curiosity. The sludge slowly drained form the cauldron after a moment (going only Merlin knows where). Harry peered inside. Laying there was not a wand but a staff. The 'wooden' part reached Harry's chin and was a bone white that shone with a green sheen in the light. On top of the somewhat crooked staff was the baby Basilisk eye with both 'lids' down, saving both of them from being killed or paralyzed. On two sides opposite each other on the upper part of the staff were two thin metal blades that extended a bit above Harry's head. They resembled curvy 'L's.

Harry reached into the cauldron and took it out of there. He swung it in a wide arch, and warmth traveled through his body as black sparks came out.

It was perfect.

Judas rattled in excitement.

"Try it out and say a spell," the wand maker said, nervous and stunned at the powerful young man.

Feeling it was the right thing to do, he rapped his staff on the floor and called out, "Lumos!"

An almost blinding light shone, and both had to cover their eyes. It died down, and they pulled their arms back. Harry spun around and looked at her with a critical eye, much like she had done before. She resisted the strong urge to fidget.

"How much?" he said, ready to bargain. She smiled weakly.

"Free for you."

Harry nodded. "Excellent."

He walked out of the back room and into the streets without so much as a 'goodbye'. She watched him go, feeling something akin to uncertainty well up from deep within her. She was certain that this would change history. Permanently.

Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing was yet to be decided by the Fates.

X

Harry walked out of there, satisfied beyond belief. Judas followed, as usual, as he went to another side street to apparate again. People stayed clear of him, what with his strange, but no less dangerous, staves and familiar. The air around them felt heavy and suffocating, and the people in Knockturne Alley felt horror.

Harry suddenly stopped walking, remembering something. He turned back to Judas. He petted him for a minute then spoke, "_**I need you to go, Judas**_."

Everyone around him jumped as their fears were confirmed. "_**I'm going to Diagon Alley to pick up a book**_."

Judas nodded then melted back into the alley's many shadows. He made his way past the border of the two alleys. He still had his staves in hand (as opposed to shrunken and in his pocket) and made an intimidating figure even without Judas. People eyed him warily and parted like the Red Sea, making a clear-cut path for Harry. He froze as something tickled the back of his senses and turned around, falling into an offensive stance with the staves in front of him. That was the only warning the wizards and witches got before the cold invaded. People started screaming and running around as three dementors glided in, leaving nightmares in their wake. They stopped when they spotted Harry and swiftly cornered him. He looked around and hissed with his weapon still out, looking very much like a feral animal. One of them got closer.

"_**We do not come to harm you, little one**_," it said as it looked at him, _through_ him. All of them seemed to bask in his unseen aura.

Harry straightened momentarily. "_**How do I know you won't?**_"

"_**It is in the Code of Honor**_," another answered with a bowed head. Harry nodded, satisfied. Judas had told him a little of the Code of Honor.

"_**We are to take you to the other humans**_," the last stated. Harry assumed they meant the Ministry. It continued, "_**We can send you to another place to get away from the ill-willed humans**_."

Harry considered the offer then nodded. "_**First, take me to these humans. I would like to see their faces. Then, transport me**_."

The first dementor to have spoken – the leader he assumed – bobbed its head up and down. "_**That is an acceptable plan**_."

The leader put a scaly hand on Harry's shoulder. They used the dementor form of apparation and left in a mass of shadows. The streets remained empty as they left, eerie in their silence.

X

When Harry could see again, he saw the inside of the Ministry building. The waiting aurors in the Dementor Room were idly waiting behind a Patronus Wall. They started when they saw him arrive.

"You traitor!" one cried. The other gave him a dirty look. Some people just didn't know when to shut up.

"Harry Potter," he said formally, "You are under arrest. Resist and we will use any means of force necessary."

The Minister burst in, trying to look regal and failing miserably. "Potter!"

Harry gave them a vicious smile, and the trio was shocked. He wasn't supposed to be _that_ lucid.

"I'd say it was nice meeting you, Fudge, but it isn't," he said and then added, "Send Voldemort my regards."

Fudge was confused. "You're not going anywhere, Potter!"

"_**Now**_," the boy rattled. The other humans backed away. What was the boy doing now?

"_**Of course, young Master**_." The dementors began to chant, scaring Fudge and the aurors even more. The room suddenly plunged into darkness and rapidly cooled. After a moment, the room returned to normal. The trio looked around to find that the dementors were gone.

But what was more worrying was that Harry Potter was gone too.

X

Harry groaned as he woke up. His eyes – so much like the Killing Curse – snapped open at the sound of tree and twigs breaking, instantly on alert. He took in the scenery around him. Tall trees were everywhere; he was, obviously, in a forest. He saw that all of his possessions were on the ground. He swiftly got off of the forest floor, cat-like in his grace. He waved his hand, expecting his magic to shrink the items so he could fit them in his pockets. Nothing happened.

His eyes narrowed.

He tried again, and it didn't work again. Obviously, this wasn't a fluke. He decided to pick up the items and put them all in a pile. Maybe this would work. He flicked his hand once more. A hole opened below his belongings, and shadowy tendrils rose up to cover them in a net. Afterwards, all of this sunk neatly into the ground again, leaving the earth looked as innocent as before. Harry 'smiled'. So _these_ powers did work here then. Wonderful.

If that worked, then his animagus formation would be successful. Faster than the eye could blink, a snake, perhaps 3.7 meters long, lay in his spot, with Harry no where in sight. The sunlight did not glint off his scales but rather was absorbed by them. The same green orbs stared out. Harry's animagus animal – Apep he called it – flickered his tongue out to taste the air. Two unknown beasts. Hm. He had to check out the threat.

The snake reared up then _dived_ to the ground. Instead of hitting it, his head melted in with the floor's shadows. The rest of the body followed. Soon, there was a snake-shaped, black shape on the ground. It rapidly slithered along like a moving painting on the ground. He stopped when he saw two raging creatures taunting each other. Harry repeated his earlier process, this time in reverse. He slithered up a tree and watched. The native forest animals were oddly silent in the presence of the other three.

One of the other two beasts was a giant fox. It had nine tails, strangely enough and seemed to be made of fire. Its red coat gave off a glow, and some of the trees around them were on fire from its rage and loss of control. Its black eyes had no whites or pupil, just an abyss. They stayed trained on the last one. It was a snake of some sorts. It was just shy of even with the fox height-wise. It definitely outranked it in length. It had eight heads and tails. One head in particular was larger than the rest – the leading head Harry assumed. Mini mountains and trees adorned its wide back, complimenting the dark brown color of its scales that seemed to be made of dirt. The skin even had cracks running through it, reminding Harry of the pictures of deserts. The snake reared up to an impressive height.

"**You shall never prevail!**" it hissed, looking down at the fox with furious red eyes. The other growled out something in return, but Harry was unable to translate. The conversion he heard was one-sided, but the meaning was clear.

The fox suddenly roared in anger, a battle cry it seemed. The snake hissed out a laugh. The began to circle each other. The snake still looked amused, and the other's anger had increased. The nine-tails, finally having enough, lunged at the serpent. Its jaws were aimed at the throat (one of them at least). The reptile dodged sluggishly – still managing to avoid it – and swung at the fox with its massive tails. Its strength made up for its speed, and the mammal was sent flying. It skidded back, trees crushing under the fox's weight. It rolled on its feet, and fire erupted from it in a flare. More trees caught on fire. Its _roar_ was deafening this time.

It charged to grab one of the snake's tails with its teeth, and its claws dug in. The eight-tails turned around, fangs shown on all heads. The nine-tails got distracted trying to avoid the deadly poison, and the reptile's tail turned with a vengeance. This time, the other managed – just barely – to land on all four paws. Both had wounds by now, the fox bleeding what looked like magma while the snake's blood was thick and black. The nine-tails leaped off the ground in a spectacular feat to land squarely on the serpent's nature-infested back. Its black claws dug in once again, and it tore off a tree wildly. The eight-tails tried to buck the other off, but it was unsuccessful. It bit on the lead head with a sickening _crunch_ of bones being broken. The relatively quick battle ended with the reptile's abrupt death, and the mammal left with a victorious bark.

Harry finally removed himself from the tree and slithered over to the dead beast. He transformed back to his regular human self. He surveyed the body that dwarfed his own. A plan came to his brilliant mind quickly. He smirked deviously.

"If I could... Yes, yes... It would owe me a debt. Wonderful," he said under his breath to himself. He snapped his fingers, and his items were called from the ground. The shadows lingered a bit, as if reluctant to leave then retreated into the earth once more. He picked up his new staff with the blades and then eyed the other one critically. He decided not to use it and turned to the rapidly-cooling corpse. He raised it, putting all his concentration into his task. He slashed it down, starting the process. He started to say some words in a low guttural language that was impossible for most. He said it over and over again, creating a fast chant. His free hand and staff waved around in a seemingly random matter, conducting an otherworldly symphony. The animals in the forest, sensing the ancient magic at work perhaps, fled. Harry paid them no mind and continued. A white light that grew steadily larger and brighter enveloped the reptile.

Harry's green eyes glowed with power. The chanting reached a pinnacle then suddenly stopped. Instead of sinking into the snake _like it was supposed to_, it rushed to Harry. It swirled around him, hesitating it seemed, then forced its way in. His mouth opened in a silent scream. He clutched his head and fell to his knees. He finally let out the scream that so desperately wanted to come out. The sound echoed in the silent, abandoned forest. Harry curled into the fetal position. Black covered his vision, and he, against his nature, gave in.

X

Harry woke up in pain again, and he feebly croaked. He slowly sat up on his haunches. He looked around and saw his possessions scattered around him. He found that he was leaning against a tree and put a hand on the rough bark to drag himself up. His tail–

His eyes widened in shock, and he turned around to looked at his new appendage. He had a long black reptilian tail swinging back and forth behind him. He took a good look at himself and discovered large onyx scales littered on his arms. He could feel scales on his legs also from the friction there. His already tall form was even _taller_ now, bordering on abnormal. He closed his eyes and dove into his core, trying to find his soul and magic. His magic was still the same but his soul... His soul had somehow fused with the soul of the eight-tails.

He paled. He had made a gross miscalculation in his... operation. "Fuck."

That summed it all up. He got to his senses and pushed his emotions behind his mental walls. Still immersed in his trance-like state, he savagely growled (mentally of course). He 'reached out' to figuratively grab the snake's soul and _ripped _information out of it. There was a struggle, but Harry's superior willpower overcame the reptile. He quickly made a cage, making sure to create a semi-powerful one until he could go back and update it. He brutally pushed the foreign soul into the container. Weakened from the previous fight, it went in easily.

He came out of his trance somewhat, alert of the world on a certain level. He organized the stolen information after putting some runes on the cage. He decided to look over the memories he had taken out.

X

After learning what he could, he wandered the forest. He knew it would be a while before he was hungry, and he wanted to find the settlement. The dementors had left him some galleons in a pouch (how they got him those, he would never know), so he had something to work with.

He was apparently in a world with no name, other than the Outside to the demons that lived in a separate realm that was still connected to this world. They spoke a language that was almost exactly like Japanese. The history was the main part he had grabbed, and it was quite extensive since the male demon was so old. The Hidden Countries was their idea of continents and countries put together. He had assimilated the knowledge of the language and had chosen a new name for himself.

Tsuki Raidon.

Tsuki, meaning moon. Raidon, the name of a thunder god. The newly-named Raidon thought it was fitting. He knew that the families, or clans, all had symbols. He decided to make his a simple moon with a lightning bolt running through it.

As for the forest-walking, apparation, unfortunately, didn't work. Although he did discover that his magic had turned into this world's 'magic': chakra. He didn't know how to control it yet. Yet. He planned to go to a village – namely the first village around here: Konoha – to learn this. He was currently in the Land of Fire, but that was a while off. He settled on the smaller village nearby. Along with food, he needed regular clothes to blend in. His current attire just wouldn't do. Furthermore, he needed more weapons. His staves were good and all (as was his gun), but he needed others. The most popular ones were shruniken and kunai.

He stopped his thoughts when the village was in sight. Raidon saw that there was a wall surrounding it, quite high too. He walked around it, finding the entrance eventually. Two guards, armed to the teeth, stood there, silently watching. They tensed when they saw him, ready to fight, and he gave them a charming smile.

"Hello," he said sweetly. They still eyed him warily. He knew he looked weird with his jeans, black t-shirt leather jacket, and tail wrapped around his waist, disguised as a thick belt. He gave off a dangerous aura with his staves in hand. The two seemed to ignore it for some reason. Perhaps it was the staves?

"Purpose?" the one on the right barked. Raidon smiled charmingly.

"Nothing, just visiting a relative," he said.

"Really?" the one on the left inquired suspiciously. Raidon's eyes glowed.

"Really." Their eyes glazed over, and they moved out of the way. Raidon strutted through confidently. He walked in and glanced around, a hard-won instinct, and committed the scene to memory. The people inside also looked at him oddly, but he paid them no mind, sensing no immediate threats. Relatively quick, he found a clothing store (much to the delight of those muttering about 'people with no fashion sense'). He looked around for clothes that suited his style and were practical. He got several copies of those that he got. He got sleeveless trench coats (quite expensive), fingerless gloves (for his staff-handling), long black pants, what looked like combat boots, and some shirts (mostly fishnet, what were these people thinking?). He also got a large quantity of bandages (which seemed to be quite popular) for his arms. The woman behind the counter looked at him dubiously then back to the clothes and back.

"Are you sure you can afford that?" she asked, attempting to get the doubt out of her voice and failing.

"Yes," he answered simply. He took out his sack filled with gold and dropped two coins on the desk. "Is this enough?"

She took it, examined, it, and then bit down on it (a rather antique way of doing things). She whispered, "This is real gold..."

"Indeed, it is," Raidon answered with a straight face. Although anyone who knew him could see the amusement in his eyes.

"That's fine, sir," she said, greed shining in her eyes. He ignored her. Stupid humans. Raidon gathered his possessions and left without another word.

"**They think you a shinobi**," the eight-tails whispered weakly. Instead of shutting it up, Raidon said nothing. He had already guessed that fact. He eventually found a store with a bathroom where he could change into his clothes. He swiftly put them on, having a difficult time with the bandages but then getting it. He walked out briskly to find a weapons store. Raidon idly surveyed the crowd and view while moving. A subtle touch had him whirling around, green orbs narrowed. It was a small kid in ratty clothes. Her hand was just barely touching his pocket. So she was trying to steal from him.

His eyes darkened, and they promised pain. Raidon caught the stunned girl's hand and squeezed it harshly. She whimpered from both pain and fear.

"Don't," he whispered, close to her ear, "_steal_ from me."

He hated thieves, the lot of them. Damned Dumbledore. He gave her a look that could have frozen a raging inferno. He tightened his grasp on her wrist and a small _crack_ was heard, far too soft for human ears.

"Will you _steal_ from me again?" Tears running down her face, she shook her head 'no'. She ran off the second he released her. He saw the civilians crowding around. Eyes sparkling with the threat of danger, he glared at them all. They all were sufficiently cowed. He walked off, trying to find the shop, as people parted around him, careful of the new 'shinobi'.

Eventually, Raidon found what he was looking for and walked in, the _ting_ of a bell sounding. The shopkeeper looked up from his work.

"Can I help you?" the bulky man asked politely, inwardly wondering about the strange customer.

"Yes," he said with a small smile, "I need some kunai and shruniken."

He looked at the staves in his hand and added as an afterthought, "I'll also need a holder for my staves to go on my back."

The weapons-maker nodded, not saying anything about the unusual choice in weapons he had brought. He eyed the two staves critically and hummed to himself, considering the possibilities and if he could pull this one off.

"The holder might be a challenge, but I have kunai and shrunkien in the back," he said. "Come back in two hours. I'll have the holder ready, and you can get the other things then."

"You want some to hold the kunai and shruniken too?" he asked.

Raidon nodded. "Leather, please."

The other man answered in the positive, not bothering to comment on how pricey they were.

"Thank you," Raidon said politely and left. He wandered about, trying to find where their village leader was. He gave up after a while. He pulled aside a young lady.

"Excuse me," he said with a sweet smile, "can you direct me to the leader of this fine village? I'm afraid I'm lost."

She blushed and stuttered, "The t-t-tall building in the m-middle of the houses."

"Thank you." Her face reddened even more, and she looked down. He gave a grin for show before walking over to the housing section of the small village. His fell into an emotionless one, adopting the visage of a village shinobi. People paid him no mind, figuring he was here on business from another County or something like that. He came upon the building he sought. It was easy to get in; there were no guards at the outside entrance (maybe they spent all the money on the wall). Raidon calmly walked up the many stairs, reaching the waiting room. He walked to the door standing between him and the leader with the guards waiting there.

"Business?" one said without emotion, the perfect shinobi. He grinned, and they reached for their weapon pouches.

"Just..." he started then trailed off.

"Checking in," he finished. His green eyes now swirled in hypnotic patterns around his pupils. Raidon's voice was also enchanting, deep and almost seductive.

Their eyes turned cloudy, caught in his trap like so many before them. They wordlessly opened the door for him. Pathetic minds really.

"Go away, Tekeshi," the village leader muttered, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture while engrossed in his paperwork.

"Actually," Raidon said in his naturally deep voice, bemused, "it's not Tekeshi."

The leader glanced up sharply and narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Tsuki Raidon," he said nonchalantly, "not that you'll remember."

Raidon ducked his head and stared at the other through lowered eyelashes. His fiendish smile was barely visible, but it still scared the leader. His eyes swirled again in preperation.

"Wha-" Then, Raidon made contact with the older. The man twitched as he struggled for control.

"Give in." He finally stopped moving, and Raidon walked towards him.

"You will make documents to prove my existence under the name Tsuki Raidon." The younger gave him a false and carefully constructed history. The leader had it done and stamped on a seal of authenticity on it afterwards.

"Forget," Raidon ordered with a neutral voice. He slashed his hand down as if cutting down the memories. He took the papers and left with an insane laugh.

X

Raidon entered the weapons shop once again to pick up his kunai, shruniken, and holders.

"I see you're back," the shopkeeper observed. "Well, everything is done."

He went to the back and came back with the requested items. He looked at the custom-made holder for his staves. Raidon decided he liked this man.

"How much for this beauty?" he asked, pointing at it. He added, "And the rest of these wonderful creations?"

"9,500 yen," the other replied. Raidon took out the money pouch again and picked out five gold coins. He gave them to the shocked metalworker, who recognized them for what they were. He picked up his stuff and walked towards the exit after putting the staves in their place then fitting the entire thing on his back.

"Keep the change," he said, not even looking back.

Raidon whistled a random tune as he strolled down the village lanes and to the exit of it.

Life was good.

The guards paid him no mind this time, thinking him a regular village shinobi, even if he was a new one. Soon, he was deep in the forest once more, on his way to Konoha. He grinned, sharp canines glinting in the light.

X

END of Transversing Universes

**Note**: 3.7 meters is about 12 feet.

TBL: Next time, I promise I won't make my author notes so long. But, is good, no? I really think I'm going to go somewhere with this thing. It's my baby, even more so than my other three stories (as of 5/3/2009, which is when I'm typing this). I have LOTS of notes for this one. I love it. Hopefully, it'll turn into something great. No guarantees, of course. Hope you liked it. I'm open to ideas anytime. If you've got something to say, don't hesitate at all.

On another note, I never get flames (much less reviews XD). On one hand, that's all fine and dandy. On the other, they make me laugh. Sigh. I'm so conflicted.


	2. Poisoning Pigeons

Death's Pale Court – Poisoning Pigeons

TBL: Hey, guys. Sorry it's been _four months_. I hate summer; I can never get anything done. So, hopefully, I should get things out quicker now that school is in session. But, nonetheless, I have granted your most wanted wish – a new chapter. You people should like it. I worked very hard on it (writer's block is a bitch). I got most of these ideas from dreams, strangely enough, as well as one of my favorite songs: "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" (go listen to it). Just one last thing: I bet you won't expect what happens in this chapter...

I sure didn't.

**EDIT: I got a review from a wonderful person stating that I had a plot hole. And indeed I did. I went back and fixed it (it's the part before Harry killed Petunia). I put something else in its place. You'll understand something in chapter two better this way. I also added a warning and a new pairing. I changed nothing else. **

**Disclaimer: I, Tainted Blood Lust, do not own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter. They belong to their respective owners. I, also, do not own the song "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". That's by Tom Lehrer (I think I spelled it right). I _DO_ however own this plot. Please, no stealing.**

Enjoy.

X

"To that high Capital, where kingly Death

Keeps his pale court in beauty and decay,

He came."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

X

"_**Open**," Harry hissed nervously. As the stone door opened with a grating sound, he wondered what lay beyond. He was sure it wasn't just a basilisk out there. He walked into the Chamber of Secrets, looking out for the dangerous entity and idly noticing the awe-inspiring marvel of architecture. The 12 year old's head snapped to the side as he heard a voice. _

"_Hello, Harry Potter." Harry saw that it was attached to a teenager, perhaps 16 years old . The other black-haired boy smirked at Harry._

"_Who are you? How do you know me?" Harry demanded (well, as much as his nerves would let him). The teen's smirk remained, erasing some of Harry's fright to fill it with anger. The other ignored his first question. _

"_Ginny's told me all about you, you know," the older boy answered calmly. _

"_What are you doing with Ginny?" he asked. _

"_I need her life," the other simply replied, fueling the Potter's anger even more. _

"_Leave her alone!" Harry shouted. With his anger, Harry's magic spiked. The taller boy laughed with no amusement in it. _

"_You can't save her, Potter. She's going to die momentarily." His eyes glinted, and Harry figuratively saw red. _

"_Leave her ALONE!" he growled. _

_Then, something akin to a dam burst inside of him. Avada Kedavra colored magic swirled around him as his eyes glowed. The other took back a step involuntarily, and a terrified expression fluttered across his face. He stepped forward again with a glare, feeling frustrated that he had done that. _

"_Potter-" Harry turned to him now, gaze intense. The older's eyes widened, and he took a step backwards once more. This time, the terrified look remained. _

"_A Pale Horse..." he whispered. Harry pushed his confusion to the back of his mind as he often did at the Dursleys'. He stepped forward, hoping to look intimidating. Somehow it worked. He opened his mouth to say something, but as if a man possessed, something entirely different came out. _

"_Leave," he said in a deep, powerful voice, "be gone, ill-wished spirit. Leave to the Netherlands. You are released, half-soul. _

_The nameless boy fell to his knees with an ear-piercing, tortured scream. Harry watched in morbid fascination as he became steadily paler, resembling a ghost. When the older was almost transparent, there was a bright explosion of light. Harry shielded his eyes with his arm. When he looked again, there was nothing. A loud gasp drew his attention, and he ran in that direction. _

"_Ginny!" he cried, kneeling beside her. "Are – are you okay?"_

_Ginny groaned in pain. Harry helped her to sit up. He struggled not to fuss over her. He asked her again. She nodded. "I'm fine, Harry."_

_Said boy looked around. "How do we get out of here?" _

_A flash blinded their eyes momentarily. When they could look again, they saw Dumbledore's phoenix. _

"_Fawkes!" he shouted in joy. The bird trilled happily. Ginny smiled. _

"_Can you help us?" she asked softly. Fawkes, who was now on Harry's shoulder, bobbed his head. _

"_Grab onto Fawkes, Ginny," Harry said. He didn't know why, but he felt it was right. She gently touched the phoenix's back. He sung again, and they disappeared in a burst of fire. _

_Harry and Ginny arrived in the Headmaster's office. Everyone there looked up, surprised. Molly Weasley was crying after she saw her daughter. _

"_My baby!" she managed to choke out. Ginny ran to her mother and hugged the woman. Harry watched with a smile, and then Dumbledore turned to him expectantly. _

"_What happened, my boy?"_

"_I first..." Harry continued on with his story, making gestures here and there. The entire Weasley family (including Ron who had somehow gotten there already), and the others listened intently. _

_Soon, he forgot all about what the nameless boy in the Chamber of Secrets had said._

A Pale Horse...

X

It was nearing dark by the time Raidon could see Konoha. The other village's wall paled in comparison to this one. There were only three guards there though. Perhaps it was the fact that it was a relatively new village. It probably wouldn't be that hard to get in now that he had gotten papers. He planned to join the village, and Raidon concluded that the First and Second Hokage would welcome a new member (most likely not that many people lived in the place) with a sob story. He stopped in his tracks as he remembered his familiars' absence. He looked to see if anyone was there as he walked away from the village, deeper into the surrounding woods.

"_**Judas**_," he called. The little bundle of cloth appeared quicker this time, excited at the chance to see his Master. Raidon stroked him on his small head. "_**I'm sorry, Judas. Forgive me?**_"

"_**Of course, Master,**_" Judas replied lovingly, seemingly odd for one of his species. "_**Can you please call Fawkes?**_"

"_**I was just going to do that, Judas**_." Raidon focused for a minute on the other familiar bond in his mind then spoke in Umbran, "_**Fawkes, heed my call**_."

There was a white flash of light, and a slightly smaller than usual phoenix appeared. He, Fawkes, was mostly white but had red wing, crest, and tail tips as well as crimson eyes, legs, and beak. He looked very much the part of an albino phoenix. Fawkes crooned happily upon seeing Raidon. "_**It has been a long time**_."

"_**Sorry, Fawkes**_," said Raidon. "_**I couldn't risk Dumbledore getting suspicious, my friend**_."

Fawkes made a sound of disgust (as much as a bird could anyways).

"_**Come**_," Raidon continued, "_**let us go, Konoha awaits us**_."

Both of the familiars nodded then followed him.

X

"_Stupid Freak!!!" Vernon Dursley yelled as he punched his small nephew with a meaty fist again. He continued to rant and rage for a bit before hitting Harry again. Harry had blanked his thoughts. _

_It was the best way to get past these things. _

_Unbidden, a thought came to mind. _

_Revenge. _

_The single word was accompanied by various images. The intense, vivid visions were violent. _

_Dudley being gutted. _

_Petunia's head exploding in bloody bits and pieces that sprayed the walls. _

_That bastard having his mind ripped apart, memory by little memory, meticulously. _

_Harry gasped as reality came crashing back. The pain. Dursley's piggy eyes gleamed in sadistic pleasure. He continued long into the night, using tools other than his fists sometimes. Feet. His belt. _

_At last, it was over, sometime around the middle of the night. Harry curled up into a ball and whimpered in pain. He let the memories come back into his conscience mind, and they overwhelmed him. He thought of how he could have been with Sirius, could have taken him up on his offer. Regardless of the consequences. Tears ran down his face, but Harry kept silent. He tried to uncurl himself, but his vision blurred. He swallowed feebly. He knew he was going to die this time as his magic slowly appraised the damage. _

_Then the human instinct to survive rose up with a strong force. Not knowing what else to do, he croaked out, "Fawkes."_

_It seemed to be an instinctual thing to do, and it turned out to be the right choice. _

_Dumbledore's phoenix flashed in with a burst of silent fire. Harry would have been impressed if he wasn't in his current state. He shivered lightly, though it grew steadily worse. Fawkes sung a mournful melody then flew over to Harry. He crooned comfortingly and began to cry. The phoenix went over to the wounds and let the tears splash on them. Harry's shaking lessened then disappeared, but he was out of it. Fawkes noticed and grew nervous. He cried more, but it didn't do anything further. He closed his eyes and concentrated on what he was about to do next, seeing no other option. In his mind's eye, he saw the familiar bond that connected him to Dumbledore and snipped it, struggling greatly. After it was done, the phoenix felt as if his mind had been cleared. He felt better but decided to figure it out later._

_Harry was in trouble. _

_Fawkes then put all of his attention on Harry's aura. He connected their magic tentatively, nervously awaiting the boy's mind and subconscious to either accept or reject him. He gave a chirp of relief as their magic joined, marking Harry's acceptance and the start of a new bond. Fawkes focused on his healing magic and sent it through the bond, the magic being more effective this time. Harry's wounds healed almost instantly. He came to while the phoenix rubbed his head against his new Master. The boy absentmindedly stroked it and then looked at Fawkes with a puzzled face. _

"_Why?" was all he asked. _

_It was the right thing to do, came the voice in Harry's head. He just smiled. _

"_Thank you, Fawkes," he replied softly and with feeling. Then, from deep inside of him, Harry intoned, "Fawkes, phoenix of Ancient Egypt, I accept your bond. Do you also accept?"_

_I do, he said. They both felt the bond tighten, but nothing fancy happened. _

_Then, Fawkes slowly began changing. The crimson and gold colors faded, leaving what looked like an albino phoenix. His now red eyes focused on his new Master. Harry's eyes were still widened in surprise and amazement. _

"_**How**__-?" Harry said, unconsciously speaking in the language of Dark creatures – Umbran. _

"_**Later, young Master**__," Fawkes answered in the same tongue then suddenly looked skywards as if he was being called. "__**Dumbledore calls, child. I must go**__."_

_Fawkes' image flickered, then he changed to his previous colors. He looked at Harry. "**Venture to Diagon Alley, Master. Things await you. Take head and don't return here unless necessary. Promise me this**."_

"_**Okay** ," was all the other said to this cryptic request. The phoenix trilled once more before flashing out. Harry stared at the empty spot, dumbfounded. Everything sunk in, but instead of panicking, he merely pushed it to the back of his mind. He got up and began to pack his things (he still had his trunk). _

_He had to go to Diagon Alley._

_After finishing that, he looked at his wand, unsure if this would work. He decided to chance it and cast a Shrinking Charm. It worked to perfection, and after a moment, Harry received no owl (he had heard of stories from Fred and George). He smiled as he walked out of his 'room'._

_For once, life was looking up. _

X

Raidon, Fawkes, and Judas arrived at the gates of Konoha after walking for a bit (they didn't want to be found using any of the transportation methods they usually did). The guards, even as bored as they were, stood at attention once Raidon came into sight.

"Papers," one commanded. He silently handed them over, and the shinobi looked them over. Another asked, "Civilian, what is your purpose for visiting?"

Raidon smiled sweetly. "I'm here to give my loyalty to Konoha."

The third eyed him suspiciously before nodding, confirming the fact that the 'civilian' wasn't lying to the other guards (not that Raidon knew this). They let him in.

"The Hokage's office is..." One of them gave him directions, and Raidon nodded then thanked them. He walked through to the streets where he wandered, marveling at the sights. And observing his surroundings for further purposes.

Never let it be said that Raidon was rarely prepared.

Hurrying up, he made his way to the Hokage's office to introduce himself. Wasn't _that_ going to be fun?

X

After showing exactly who he was to the First and Second Hokage, he told them how he wanted to train as a shinobi.

"Why haven't your been trained by now?" the First asked.

"My village didn't have any shinobi, so I couldn't be trained. I decided to become a shinobi and chose Konoha to swear my loyalty to."

There was a pause and the Second simply asked, "Why?"

Raidon turned morose, and the emotion wasn't faked. "My family died, and I know they would've wanted me to follow my dreams."

Another period of silence reigned.

"Can you tell us what you're doing with the staves and... animals?" Raidon thought about his answer to the question.

"I brought my own weapons to fight with. I have trained with them somewhat in preparation. I don't know how to use chakra yet."

Raidon looked at Fawkes who was on his shoulder and then to the floating Judas (who had turned off the emotion-sapping effects for now). "They are my familiars. They found me, and we bonded."

The First nodded. The two Hokage looked at each other and silently communicated. The Second spoke, "We'll accept that."

He paused. "However, you will have to gain our trust. In that time, you will stay with a family."

The Second Hokage looked to the First again and said, "Go get Uchiha Madara."

Not bothering with a confirmation, he left in a clutter of leaves with one hand symbol. The remaining two waited for about a half an hour, in which Raidon elaborated on some of his history. The First arrived with a tall, black-haired man.

With red eyes.

His scarlet eyes had a strange pattern in black around the pupil. It was a strange, new concept to Raidon, even _with_ the amount of... abnormal things he had seen. Not wanting to be rude, he stopped his staring.

"This is the Head of the family you will be staying with," said the Second. Uchiha-san looked at him critically, as if searching for something. He nodded just barely to himself. He walked up to Raidon.

"Uchiha Madara," the man said, bowing lightly and on the edge of impoliteness, "I am pleased to meet you."

Raidon repeated the action with more respect. "Tsuki Raidon, likewise."

"That is a clan unknown to me," the Uchiha remarked.

"I am from a civilian village, Uchiha-san," Raidon said to the unasked question. Raidon barely caught the rapidly appearing glint of suspicion in the man's eyes. They were both aware of the Hogake watching with interest.

"Come," Uchiha-san said, "let us go."

Raidon touched the man's shoulder lightly, and they too vanished with a sign of the hand.

X

After Uchiha-san showed Raidon around the house, he gave the Tsuki some time to spend in his room. It was almost the end of Friday, and Academy started on the Monday two weeks from now. He would, obviously, be the oldest one there, and this made Raidon annoyed. People would start asking questions, just like when he was Harry Potter. He disliked most people, tending to lean towards animals more. Fawkes trilled a short tune in response to his thoughts. Judas couldn't do anything as he was out hunting. His thoughts turned to one Uchiha Madara.

The man certainly was... interesting.

He had an aura of mystery about him, holding unknown secrets. He had the demeanor and appearance of an experienced, rigid shinobi. He just screamed 'danger'. It would take Raidon a while to reach that level. There was something about Uchiha-san that Raidon couldn't quite figure out. It seemed familiar, yet the knowledge evaded his grasp, annoying him to no end.

He had told Raidon that he would begin training with the Clan Head tomorrow. The teenager had the feeling that Uchiha-san expected great things from him, allowing no room to fail. It reminded him very much so of the Malfoys.

A thought crossed his mind, and he reached down to take his gun from its holster. He admired it, smiling at the cursive letters that stringed together to form 'Blood Moon'. He took out the clip and examined it to see how many bullets there were. He sighed; he was low again. He'd have to rely on chakra (when he learned more about it). Raidon put it back on then to put his weapons away as it was about the time he should be going to sleep. He put on some sleepware, selecting from some of the clothes Uchiha-san had provided for him. The teenager lay on the bed, pulled the covers up, and closed his eyes, soon drifting off to sleep.

X

_Harry walked along Knockturn Alley in a hooded cloak, just browsing. His glowing green eyes were the only thing visible, scaring most of the intruders away. If that didn't work, the floating familiar sure did. His eyes landed upon a small store, no different form some, except the sign on the brick front. _

Specialty Weapons.

_Intrigued, he walked in. The inside was enormous, shelves upon shelves everywhere. A small desk sat by the door, dwarfed by the high ceiling and large objects. At the desk, an old, bald man sat, hunched over a piece of paper. He seemed to be drawing furiously. After a moment, he looked at Harry (who was still marveling at all the items all around) with violet eyes. Sensing the gaze, harry turned around to face the man. _

"_What weapons do you sell?"_

"_Whatever suits you," the other replied in a cryptic manner. _

"_And which one is that?" An eyebrow was raised. The man gave a maniacal grin. _

"_Let found out, shall we?" he clapped his hands, and a loud bang sounded. Purple mist suddenly and rapidly poured from the floor, filling to just about above Harry's ankle. Like an atomic bomb, it pushed itself to the edge of the walls then rushed back. Harry, who was watching it intently and cautiously, jumped back when the gathered clump spouted up in front of him. He bumped into Judas, feeling a bit of the cold. The temperature rose sharply when the towered mist reached its maximum height. It simply stayed there for a moment then, as Harry watched with a fascinated stare, formed a shape. It was a gun with a rather long barrel, and Harry had a minute sense of pride for some reason. _

"_Interesting," the purple eyed male muttered. "Quite unusual..."_

_He looked at it with a critical eye, ignoring Harry. "And the potential to be powerful."_

_He waved his hand, and the mist dispersed. The man suddenly swung around to face the other. _

"_Do you think you have enough power?" he asked Harry after a period of silence. The boy stared at the older, and the man could not honestly tell what the other was thinking. _

"_Yes," was the simple answer. It sounded like he was stating a fact, sounding neither arrogant nor meek. Another insane smiled graced the man's face._

"_Let's get started then."_

X

Raidon threw another kunai and yet again missed. He squinted his eyes behind his glasses, trying not to show his frustration by hiding it behind an emotionless mask. He had a feeling that any other weakness he had would be preyed upon. He could feel Uchiha-san's gaze on his back. The older had been watching all day after giving him simplistic instructions on how to do this. He moved form the position of leaning on a nearby tree.

"Come," was the Uchiha's order. Raidon glanced at the barely marked target once more then walked over. Uchiha-san held out his hand, and Raidon, while wondering where they were traveling, touched it lightly without hesitation. A hand sign was made, and the two disappeared, leaving a small, red cloud.

They appeared in front of a large tan building with many levels. Windows took residence on a good portion of the walls. Raidon could see through some of them and saw that almost all of the rooms were white.

Hospital.

Raidon resisted the urge to curl his lips in disgust as they walked briskly to the entrance. He hated hospitals.

The reception room had several chairs lining the walls. Not a single shinobi was there. The receptionist leaned on her elbow, extremely bored, and read a book (which looked to be a romance novel). She jumped out of her skin when Uchiha-san coughed to gain her attention.

"Hello and welcome to–" She paused and her smile fell slightly. "H-hello, Uchiha-san."

The man gave the slightest of nods to her. "I need to see Doctor Takahashi."

The lady quickly went into action at the demand.

"O-o-of course!" She turned in her chair to rapidly type away at a computer.

The two males stood calmly waiting until the doctor came. He was short and old. His gray beard and mustache helped give the aura of a kind elder.

His sharp black eyes said different.

"Welcome, Madara," he said with a slow drawl. They shallowly bowed to each other. "Come, let's go to my office."

He gave a brief, curious glance to Raidon then walked off with Uchiha-san at his side. When they got there, Takahasi locked the door. The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Problems, Madara?"

"His eyes." No gesture was made, but they all knew which 'he' it was. Takahashi became professional and ushered Raidon into a seat.

"Stay still." He began to quickly form a sequence of hand signs. When he was done, kanji appeared in the air. Though he could actually _read_ kanji, Raidon couldn't make heads or tails of it. Takahashi hummed to himself.

"Well," he said, "they're bad, but that can be taken care of with a jutsu."

He eyed the other too. "Payment?"

"We'll speak of this later," Uchiha-san replied after he too peeked at Raidon. The doctor just nodded then looked at the youngest.

"Don't move again." Raidon watched as the man worked his magic (so to speak), inwardly interested. His greedy eyes took in the order of the hand signs and what they looked like. The man finished, and at first, nothing happened. Then Raidon was suddenly blinded; he rapidly blinked, and everything came back. His vision was fuzzy until he took off his glasses. Raidon could see everything clearly and sharply.

"Like it?" The doctor smirked as Raidon got out of his chair.

"Yes." The youngest gave a formal bow.

Uchiha-san nodded lightly to Takahashi then briskly walked out, Raidon trailing behind. Once outside, they once again traveled to the Uchiha compound in a puff of red smoke.

X

The first few days of Shinobi Academy were rather uneventful (for Raidon at least). He felt as though he was eleven again. Despite learning a small amount of material, Raidon grasped the concepts quickly. They called him smart. He thought they were a bunch of imcompentants.

Training with Uchiha-san still continued regularly. Things were much better after his eyesight was healed. Raidon wondered about the payment for a treatment but kept his mouth shut. If Uchiha-san didn't mention it, he sure wouldn't.

All in all, everything was fine.

Then the murders started.

Civilians (never shinobi) started appearing up, dead. The killer, who had yet to be captured, started off slowly then steadily worked their way up. Almost all of the victims were deceased because of poisoning. The others were rather creative (if Raidon did say so himself). Each of these died in a different way; even the poisoned ones were killed with a variety of toxins. They appeared randomly over the town, sometimes in the strangest of places. All the neighborhood gossip mongers were whispering about it.

A week after the first murder (a Sunday), Raidon was walking to Uchiha Manor (apparently it was necessary to have an overly large house as Head of the Uchiha line) from the Academy. He was 'taking a risk' (carrying a staff nonetheless) walking along the abandoned alleyways. He figured it was more fun this way. He was balancing on a steel beam on the ground when he saw it.

A dead body lay, peeking out from a couple of crates. A song came to mind, and he began to sing without much thought (or care) as he walked over to investigate.

"...It's not against any religion to want to dispose of a pigeon..." Raidon tilted his head in a curious manner. He examined it, poking it with his staff here and there. Its glazed blue eyes stared skywards as the Tsuki sung some more. "...While we're poisoning pigeons in the park..."

He pondered what to do, still absentmindedly singing. "...Except for the few we take home to experiment..."

All thought processes promptly crashed.

_Experiment_...

...Could he possibly do that? _Road to Perdition_ mentioned some things that needed human body parts. He started to calculate the pros and cons of taking the body. Raidon frowned; where would he _put_ it?

Then he heard voices from an alleyway close to where he was. His eyes darted around. Good, no one was here yet. He made a split second decision. He took his staff and swung it like an axe. The metal part landed on the dirt, chopping off a finger. He quickly wiped the blood on the ground, grabbed the piece of flesh, and fled.

It would be useful.

X

Raidon was slowly moving back and forth on a lonely swing in the back of the playground of Konoha. He was by one of the only patches of trees that remained in the village's walls. This one was by the edge of said walls. He was bored as it was a Saturday, and there was no school. Uchiha-san had ushered him out of the house, briefly mentioning he had important business to do. Raidon just focused on the motion of swinging.

Then he suddenly heard a scream and the sound of a kunai being embedded deep into the trunk of a tree.

He perked up and looked around to see no one there. He jumped off of the rising swing and landed gracefully in a crouch. He calmly walked into the forest, where more fighting sounds ensued. His trench coat flared slightly as he picked up the pace. Raidon's feet were almost completely silent, so he was able to approach the scene unnoticed. The young students (from what he could see, they were around eight or nine years old), three of them at least, surrounded the fourth. The last looked small for his age, obviously the bullied one. His eyes darted back and forth like a wild animal's.

Raidon decided not to interfere for now.

"Where are mommy and daddy? Are they coming to help you?" The three larger kids (two boys and a rather ugly girl) laughed at their own little 'joke'. The other narrowed his eyes but otherwise didn't reply.

"Poor little orphan boy," the girl mocked. Raidon narrowed his own green orbs. The nerve of that bitch.

"Shut up," the boy said with some calm. His voice was soft but the anger shone through. It sounded like the calm before the storm, a warning.

The others ignored him. The largest bully responded, "Come on, fight us!"

"No," was the simple answer.

"Talking didn't save your clan," the girl said with a wide and malicious grin, "did it?"

The cornered kid's golden eyes burned in fury.

"_SHUT UP_!" he shrieked, and Raidon was forcibly reminded of a crow. Uncontrolled chakra burst up from the ground and surrounded him. It was midnight black with streaks of liquid gold.

He suddenly screamed and clutched his head in pain then doubled over. Black skin seeped from the corners of his closed eyes and rapidly spread like spilled ink. The little vines made their way all over the visible body parts of the boy.

The bullies watched in fascination.

When the onyx strands slowed and began forming marks, the three snapped into action. They all stepped forward, trying to look menacing but utterly failing. The girl sneered.

"Not so strong, are you now?" She went to throw a punch.

And, with a speed he didn't know he had, Raidon blurred and caught her fist, mere centimeters form the boy. All three looked up, surprised, at his tall form. He squeezed her curled-up hand hard, and she whimpered.

"Leave him alone." Raidon's voice was arctic cold. His irises thinned like a snake's for a moment before he reigned his anger in.

The bullies backed away and glanced at each other. They seemed to silently agree amongst themselves and fled.

The kid's head lifted up to peer at Raidon through long black bangs.

"Thank you," he said then looked down. The older just stared at him then extended a hand. The kid just continued to look down at the forest floor.

"Come on," Raidon's voice rang, "let's go."

The other looked up, extremely surprised, and offered a small smile. He took Raidon's hand. Acting as if nothing had happened, Raidon casually said, "Hello, I'm Tsuki Raidon. Pleased to meet you."

Deciding to go along with it, the boy answered in kind, "The same. My name is Inku Karasu."

Raidon raised an eyebrow. "Interesting name."

He added as an afterthought, "May I call you Karasu?"

"Yes," he said then paused. "You have an interesting name as well."

Karasu looked at himself and seemed to notice the tattoo-like markings all over his body for the first time. His eyes turned misty, looking at all of the designs.

"The Inku Markings..." he whispered. His head suddenly snapped up to look at Raidon.

"Thank you." Karasu's heartfelt repetition was barely heard as he hugged Raidon tightly. The older felt warm tears soak into his shirt and felt awkward. He tentatively wrapped his arms around the other, saying nothing. Karasu pulled back after a moment and hastily wiped the remaining tears off of his face with his sleeves.

_Beautiful_.

The lone thought raced through his mind, leaving chaos in its wake. Raidon mentally shook his head and told himself not to become involved.

But looking at that face and barely-there smile...

Raidon decided he could use a friend.

"I have to go now," Karasu said, suddenly embarrassed. He started to go, but Raidon grabbed his wrist.

"I'll see you soon, Karasu," he said, conveying the message of 'let's be friends'. The other nodded then walked away.

But not without giving Raidon one last quick hug.

The other's eyes trailed him until he left the range of view.

X

Raidon lay on his bed, eaglespread, while looking at the ceiling. He had just had an exhausting training session with Uchiha-san. Half-lidded eyes suddenly snapped open. He forgot to look up that article in _Road to Perdition_!

He had to read quickly so that Uchiha-san didn't catch him. The man liked everyone in the household to sleep (or just stay in bed) at a certain time (it was different for everyone). It was kind of odd, but Raidon figured he wanted to know where everyone was at night.

Raidon walked over to the average-sized sack with the belongings he came over here with. He opened it and pulled out a royal blue pouch out. The opening was just big enough for his hand and lined with shimmering gold thread.

The container was called a Dimension Pouch. They were _extremely_ rare and almost priceless in value. Made by stupidly complex magic, it was a key to a Dimension Pocket, a storage... room of sorts. The thing was basically part of a certain dimension that was 'empty', thus the ability to store things. Only objects could go in there; people never came out. One could somehow call back the item from their own section, and when someone bonded with it (it had a minor demon in it to guard things), an automatically-updating inventory appeared in their mind. Occulmency was, of course, required (the amount of items, knowledge, and the strange magic could potentially kill).

"_Road to Perdition_," Raidon said clearly, thinking of an exact image of the book. This was all needed in order not to mix up items. He stuck his hand just barely in there, and the book materialized rapidly. He pulled it out and grinned. His very blood seemed to sing once he came in contact with it, no different than every other time. Its tempting aura reeled him in, and Raidon opened it with carefulness befitting a sacred artifact. He quickly flipped to the contents page to find where the ritual section was.

Casting a glance to the Dimension Pouch where the preserved finger laid, Raidon finally found it. He sat on his bed and got comfortable; reading usually took him a while, unfortunately.

He read for a bit, carefully listening for Uchiha-san. He flipped the page and stared at the heading on the next one.

_Cannibal Rituals_.

A shudder came and passed in a matter of seconds for reasons unknown. After blankly staring for a moment, he startled when Uchiha-san's barely-there steps sounded. He quickly put it away and pulled out a book the man had lent him, just in time too. Uchiha-san came in and coolly looked around then left after turning off the lights. Raidon's green serpentine eyes glowed in the dark as he promised to look at the section again.

And soon.

X

_**The Phoenix**_

_Everyone has heard of the legend of the phoenix. A fire-based bird that rises form its own ashes, reborn, that bonds only to Light and White wizards. _

_I am here to tell you the truth._

_While wizardkind (and some muggles too) have many facts right, there are still those untold. Folklore from other beings (mostly humanoids) have shed light on the pheonix._

_The earliest tales are from the Ancient Elves. A modern translation from one part follows:_

"_**...And I, with two eyes of doubt, traced the fiery form... It's wings that were red with the fury of the Gods beat a gale to destroy our village... Black eyes of Kre'luc followed me and haunted me...**__"_

_Their god, Kre'luc, is similar to that of Hades or a Siren, and this tells us about the massive rage of this creature. The rest is rather vague, but as many look at this now, it is clear what the Elf is describing. _

_The remains of a single Ancient Elf village have been found, cementing that this passage is a true story._

_The well-known anger of a phoenix (given the right circumstances)adds to that fact. But many things are still hard to separate – fact from fiction. _

_One 'fact' is that phoenixes are always fire-based. This is not true. Each phoenix has the possibility of being any element or any combination of elements. Almost all phoenixes have the sole element of fire, thus helping to fuel this myth. I have seen one non-fire phoenix: a Rock phoenix. It looked vastly different from its red, slim, and weak-looking counterpart. Of course, not all phoenixes of the same element look exactly alike. Their colors change with each new bond they make._

_Bonding with a phoenix is connecting your magic (as muggles cannot obviously do this) with that of the bird. The 'fact' that phoenixes only bond with White or Light wizards is also false. The truth is that they can bond with anyone, no matter their affiliation. Most think they are Light creatures because the most famous bondings were with Light wizards. In reality, phoenixes are neither Light nor Dark. They are Neutral. Like most Neutral animals, they can change colors and possible element(s). _

_Merlin, perhaps the most famous wizard ever, had a phoenix familiar which was typical, crimson and fire-based. People take this as an example and stereotype phoenixes. Augustus Caesar's little-known phoenix familiar was one of the first records of a different type of phoenix. His was one of the rarest types: an Ice phoenix. Several tales suggest he used it in battle to defeat numerous enemies. _

_The rarest type of phoenix, unbonded or not, is the Death phoenix. Always albino-like in color, there have been only two proved sightings. All creatures bond only to those they deem worthy (unless forced, see pages 1175 – 1192 for more information), and those deeply enough entrenched to become Death wizards are usually never included for any animal. Thought to be a new species of bird, one of these is the phoenix of Sir Leviathan, a Death Lord (different than a Dark Lord) whose name is never uttered in society. _

_Another rumor about phoenixes is that their song(s) is/are always soothing. Thanks to the records of King Charles of France, an almost forgotten magical leader we have been able to deduce that all phoenixes' songs differ. His familiar, a Storm phoenix, was able to call upon all manners of weather to kill his enemies with its hauntingly beautiful melody. Augustus Caesar, again, is an example; his could freeze people. _

_Yet another falsity is the mating habits of phoenixes and their offspring. While many works suggest that..._

Excerpt from _Creatures of the World_ by Aqua Lord Trimaine

X

END of Poisoning Pigeons

**NOTE**: I know rape _may_ have been implied (if you read between the lines), but there was no such thing.

TBL: I think I may have described everything I wanted to in the first author's note... I might add an edit if I think of anything important. Sorry for not posting this sooner. I _would _have posted it 3 days or so ago, but my computer was being an ass. I'd like to thank all my lovely readers, all 1800 or so of them. I got a big response (for me anyways). I love you all! I want everyone to give a big hug to KingofLoosePages for helping me with my Japanese. :3


	3. Powers Revealed

Death's Pale Court – Powers Revealed

TBL: Yay! More chapter-ness! Don't you all love me? Aw shucks, I love you too. In this chapter, you shall see _why_ this story is rated 'M'. Read the 'special chapter warnings' for the love of god! It might only get worse (I don't know) from here on out so if you're going to bail now, do it. For all of you hardcores, take a bow. For all those joining, welcome aboard the ship. For all of you fellow horror fans... rock on! All those asking about Orochimaru, take a look at the bottom note.

**Disclaimer**: I, Tainted Blood Lust, do not own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter. They belong to their respective owners. I _DO_ however own this plot. Please, no stealing.

**Special Chapter Warnings**: rape (I told you this was coming so don't complain), cannibalism (yes, I finally decided to include it), some disturbing/violent descriptions (not _too_ much)

Enjoy.

X

"To that high Capital, where kingly Death

Keeps his pale court in beauty and decay,

He came."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

X

_**Necromancers**_

_Long have Necromancers been around. Thought to have been one of the Ancient Races, their history spans further than most races. They are considered separate from the human race. Necromancer origin theories are numerous and highly varied. One of the most popular ones is that Necromantic Demons came to Earth to breed with a human-like species to produce the first Necromancers. One of the most infamous Necromancers to date is Sir Leviathan, who had enough Necromantic powers to be considered a Death Lord. His many atrocious deeds have gained him a very high notoriety. From burning whole cities to committing genocide, nothing was above him. One of his followers, who had received his notes after his death, is said to have started the Bubonic Plague. Necromancers are far and few in between and only born approximately every 475 years, only to families with any amount of Necromantic ancestors in the last 35 generations._

_Warning_

_Necromancers are dangerous and powerful. Although some more so than others, they are at least above the magic level of an average wizard. Even untrained, they are extremely dangerous with sometimes unpredictably powerful. The Ministry has given Necromancers a Danger Level of XXXXXX, the highest there is. They were given the same level as major Demons as the Ministry believes in the Necro-Demon Theory. Trained and untrained Necromancers have the same rating. Untrained ones have powers that often get out of control and can sometimes be more harmful than trained ones. Trained Necromancers' powers are set in stone and are ruled with an iron fist, giving them the advantage over most wizards. All this makes it extremely difficult to kill even a single Necromancer._

_There are several ways to identify a Necromancer. Fully trained ones have a single streak of white in their hair. It is usually in the front but has been known to be elsewhere. Most look like wizards, and the streak is one of the only ways to find a Necromancer. There are spells and potions to reveal a Necromancer, but these are all long and complicated. There are only six potions/spells like this. They all have to be done on the sixth day of the sixth month (for more information see volume 63 pages 72 – 89). What make them different are, of course, their powers._

_**Untrained wizards are ordered to stay away from Necromancers at all times. If faced with one, caution is advised.**_

_Powers_

_Necromancers are born with Necromantic powers, but often these are blocked. Certain circumstances are required for one to gain their powers. First, they must be by an extremely Dark or Black object. It is theorized that the Necromancer has to absorb the Negative energy in order for their powers to manifest. After gaining their powers, they become official untrained Necromancers. The new powers of a 'newly-born' Necromancer often shift and continue to do so until they are fully trained. There are many different possibilities of powers that a Necromancer can have, and more are still being discovered._

_The most obvious power of one is the ability to raise the dead. This, however, has restrictions._

_The first restriction is time. After a certain period of time (it is not certain), a Necromancer cannot revive the dead (no matter what species). This is because of what is known as the Law of Chronos. It is said that the Lord of Time, Chronos, decreed that not all dead can be raised, so that the Realms would stay full. After the amount of time (it is different for everything), the spiritual body of it is fully integrated into the Realms. This, however, takes a while, especially for larger creatures. Also, the mind of the entity takes a much quicker time. This is why Necromancers only have a certain amount of time to revive something. They can raise a creature whose body isn't fully integrated, but the risen may be insane or incapable of most things. Some rare creatures, though, have been known to stay sane until their body is immersed into the Realms._

_The second restriction is energy levels and type(s). A Necromancer is, by nature, aligned with Death. Therefore, they have a harder time raising Light and White creatures or people. Their types do not match up and oftentimes cancel each other out. Although, with enough power, a Necromancer can accomplish this. There is a wheel depicting how each element/type affects the others called the Circle of Elements (for more information see pages 3 -15), and it can help to figure out the strengths/weaknesses of a Necromancer or any Ancient._

_Each Necromancer has its own strengths and weaknesses. They may be proficient in raising Lava (a rare form of Fire) creatures but can fail in doing the same with Aqua creatures. This is because these two are opposites on the Circle of Elements. Knowing this can mean the downfall of a Necromancer, but it is never certain._

_Another obvious power of the Necromancer is their affinity with Shadows. Different from regular, everyday shadows, these can be controlled. Only special types of creatures are able to do this, and even then, very few of the species can. However, all Necromancers can do this. Only may those who can control Shadows know the difference between shadows and Shadows. When this ability is exercised, the Shadows seem to dance as if excited to see their Masters. Several theories have been made to explain this phenomenon, none proven (see volume 22 pages 54 - 67). One known fact is that the Shadow powers of a Necromancer grow with age, starting with only a single, simple ability, such as making binding chains out of them._

_Besides controlling Shadows, Necromancers have "animagus" forms relating to this. In example, Johnathane Bisken, a little-known French Necromancer, had the animagus form of a dementor. It is uncertain how the forms are decided, but they are all deadly, dangerous creatures. For more information see the _Forms _section._

_Eyes_

_**It is advised to not look a Necromancer in the eyes, as it may kill any wizard, trained or untrained. If you do so, EXERCISE CAUTION. Only those with a strong will are able to escape.**_

_The most powerful part of a Necromancer, some argue, is their eyes. According to the Necro-Demon Theory, demons have passed down their eyes through heritage. These can range from all sorts of colors, even though Necromantic Demons always have peculiar green eyes and only in that shade of green. Regardless of color, Necromancers' eyes can be, and are often, used to control any creature (some have also been known to control sentient inanimate objects). It is reminiscent of the Imperius Curse. The eyes have been reported to 'swirl' when exercising this power. Also, they have been said to change colors slightly (such as in the case of Johnathane Bisken). These color changes are observed only when the eyes are used for this purpose._

_The actual purpose of this feature is not for people and/or creatures, but to control the dead that they raise. Some Risen, especially those which were very powerful while living, are resistant and will attack the Necromancer. Losing control of the Risen can be fatal for the Necromancer. All Demons share this feature, giving proof to the Necro-Demon Theory._

_The most powerful Necromancers do not have various eye colors just, rather, just one. It is the exact shade of that of Necromantic Demons, a color exactly like the Avada Kedavra curse. For this reason, they are easy to identify. Although, this can be covered with a strong glamour._

_Voice_

_With the voice of a Necromancer, this can be a deadly combination. It has the same effect on people and creatures as their eyes. However, the voice of one has a versatile function. It can both control the dead, sometimes better than the eyes, and 'seduce' the dead. By 'seducing' the dead, a Necromancer can call upon them easier. This is because the dead will be enchanted into 'loving' the Necromancer, thus coming quickly and without resistance. The voice of a Necromancer comes naturally but is more powerful in some than others. Strangely enough, the second function of a Necromancer's voice does not apply to living people and creatures._

_Forms_

_Like wizards, Necromancers have one additional form. In wizards, this is called an animagus. For Necromancers, it is a mortderoi. This comes from 'mort de roi' which is French for 'kingly death'. In wizards, only a small percentage possesses the ability to change forms, and then, some of those don't complete the change. With Necromancers, they all have the potential to become a mortderoi. However, for most, the process for this is much more difficult than that of wizards. For this reason, few Necromancers accomplish the art of having a mortderoi form._

_When a Necromancer has managed to gain their new form, it is always a creature relating to the Shadow Arts. A dementor is an obvious example, but most do not have such a powerful mortderoi. Many Necromancers have a smaller and/or weaker form, such as a hooffeniff, a magical cousin of the vampire bat. Some, though it's a minuscule amount, have the form of an animal that has not yet been discovered._

_The majority of wizards believe that mortderoi are only Shadow creatures. This is not true. These forms can also be the Shadow version of a neutral, shape-shifting creature, such as the Stlot, an animal native to Australia that mainly appears as a kangaroo. There are exceptions, though; some shape-shifters don't have a Shadow form._

_The age of a mortderoi reflects that of the Necromancer. Ones with an immortal mortderoi (an extremely rare occurrence) are said to be immortal themselves, but this is unproven._

_Familiars_

_Every Necromancer has a familiar, an animal that they are drawn to. In some cases, the familiar is attached to the Necromancer's 'soul' (for Necromantic Soul Theories see pages 194 -207). Each familiar is a possible mortderoi, but never the same as their Master; there are no exceptions. Never has a documented familiar been anything other than a Shadow creature, Neutral, or Elemental._

_Familiars to Necromancers depend on the power of the Necromancer, and a chart was made by Plato to help determine the power levels of both. Another thing that match familiars and Necromancers is personality. They both have to cooperate to create a powerful team; opposing pairs would die. Therefore it is hard (though not too difficult) for a Necromancer to find their familiar. Sometimes, they may have more than one familiar; this never exceeds four. Having more familiars doesn't necessarily mean a Necromancer is more powerful. Most medium-powered ones have several weak familiars. High-powered Necromancers, of course, have..._

Excerpt from "History of Magic – Volume One: the Ancients" by Morgana

X

Unspeakable Iris sat, bored, flipping through an untitled book that contained every prophecy made, filled or unfulfilled. It was a job that took _forever_, and _he_ just happened to be stuck with it. He gave up reading each page and just went to a random one. There was yet _another_ stupid name he didn't recognize.

_Tsuki Raidon_

There was one entry – nothing extraordinary. Except that it was a new prophecy. Unspeakable Iris' eyes widened. His eyes quickly scanned the cryptic message.

_Chained by fake fate  
Hunger will not sate  
Thirst for the red waters abound  
Can help worldly purpose be found  
This grand play maker of the moon transcends  
The servant of the white reaper  
Leaving a veiled widow weeper  
Mastering the bone  
He sits on the throne_

Puzzled, he read it again. He ignored the odd feeling in his gut and looked closer. Deciding to go through it later, he just wrote down _Unknown Interpretation_ then closed the book. He looked at the clock and saw that it was 12 o' clock. That was weird; he could have sworn it was earlier. Oh well, it was time for lunch. He walked away, forgetting all about the mysterious prophecy.

X

Raidon currently sat, eating lunch with Karasu, by a large sakura tree. The outside portion of Shinobi Academy wasn't too fancy, and thus most kids ate inside. It helped that all of the others (with a few exceptions) were terrified of him. Karasu's tormentors must have told their story. Frankly, Raidon was glad. He wasn't bothered too much and neither was Karasu.

The odd thing, however, was that people kept giving Karasu strange, sometimes hateful, looks. This started after he had gained the 'Inku markings' and, in some cases, only intensified. He could feel that his friend was becoming annoyed... and yet, somehow, scared. The picture this painted was a mysterious one, and Raidon was determined to find out what was wrong. For now, he acted normal.

"How was your day today?" he asked. In the past, he would have mostly asked this out of a sense of politeness (when required), but with Karasu, it was sincere. The self-proclaimed Tsuki wondered how this feeling of friendship and caring had descended upon him.

Raidon was on a different level of schooling, despite starting out at level one. Karasu, who before decided there was no point in trying too much, made the choice to pick it up a bit now that they were friends. They both now passed each class with flying colors, not afraid to show intelligence. Sometimes, when a problem was especially difficult, they helped each other out, making a great team. Some didn't take it well, and though they hadn't, the two could see that they were itching for a fight. However, their hesitation wouldn't last long.

"Acceptable," Karasu said, rolling his eyes. The boy had picked up some of the things Raidon did. "Taka-whatever was being an idiot again."

"The red head with the large ears and glasses?" Raidon asked, bemused. "How so?"

"Yes, that one. He attempted to pull Hyuuga's hair again." The Hyuuga (no one seemed to know her given name) had hair down to the middle of her back and was quite protective of it. She was also rather tough and muscular for a girl. Anyone that bothered her indeed _was_ an idiot.

"Karasu..." Raidon said then hesitated, which was rare for him. He had been thinking further on the 'clan marks issue' and wanted to ask the other about it. "Can you tell me about your clan?"

Karasu immediately sobered, and he looked down. He took a deep breath to let it out and opened his mouth. He closed it shortly after, apparently thinking of something else. He peeked at Raidon through his midnight black hair. "Okay..."

It was whispered, but the other heard it clearly. Raidon stayed silent, content to let the Inku continue. "I have a story to tell you."

He paused. "It starts with a baby boy. He was born to a citizen family and lived a normal life there for many years. But, after a while, he knew he was different, _special_. The boy had some kind of power, one he couldn't explain. He watched his family closely, looking for some sort of answer, while practicing it in secret. The answers he found weren't very pleasant. They _loathed_ abnormality – it was strange, odd, _evil_. Disheartened, the boy stopped for a while. He covered up his odd markings quickly after he got them, using his mind and will alone to create an illusion.

"Then he met them. Shinobi, rare as they were in those parts, passed through the small settlement. The boy saw their abilities and craved them. His fire lit anew; he began to practice again. Two lone shinobi remained, claiming to need a place to rest. He sought them out and asked to be trained. They refused. Every morning he returned to ask again. What he didn't know was that they were following him, that they were testing him. The shinobi has sensed that the boy had some sort of power.

"One day, he forgot about practicing in secret. The shinobi found him. Not minute after he had activated his powers, they pounced. He tried to explain, but the shinobi didn't care. They had agreed to train him.

"They taught him all they knew and then some. Nothing was too much. But soon, there wasn't a lot to learn. Except the Forbidden Jutsu. They debated but eventually to all learn it, shinobi and the boy alike. But with such a powerful thing came a great price.

"After a while, enemies started to pop up out of every nook and cranny. They all wanted –"

Karasu cut himself off as he saw someone new approach him and Raidon. Raidon glanced at the young teenager too then to Karasu in askance.

"Later," he whispered, just as the other came to them. The unnamed boy had a swagger to his walk and looked somewhat cocky. He stared down at the duo for a moment before extending a hand.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen." Raidon was suddenly reminded of his meeting with Malfoy on the train ride in his first year. In a split second, he decided to make the right choice this time around and grasped the offered appendage in a strong grip.

"Tsuki Raidon," he completed smoothly.

"Inku Karasu," his friend piped up, "nice to meet you."

Sarutobi-san gave a light nod of the head instead of a bow, and Raidon wondered just exactly what he was. He addressed Raidon, "I heard of your... rescue."

Knowing what he was talking about, he said in a neutral voice, "Yes, that was me."

Sarutobi-san smirked. "Bastards got what they deserved."

Raidon's lips twitched.

"Have you heard about the Hyuuga clan?"

Pretty soon, after the small talk, the three relaxed, and Sarutobi-san gossiped as much as he could. They all felt comfortable in the others' presence for some reason, as if they had known each other all along. Sarutobi-san brought up another gossip topic after a while. "Have you heard about the new clan that's moving in?"

"No," Raidon and Karasu said at the same time.

"Apparently, no one knows too much about them. Their clan name is Henkei."

Raidon grew mildly curious. What a strange clan name. Sarutobi-san continued, "They live on the south side of Konoha. I only saw one of them; they look funny."

Raidon raised an eyebrow. Sarutobi-san was practically bouncing because of all the juicy material for the gossip community to be found. The oldest asked, "Why do they look 'funny'?"

"They remind me of snakes," was all he said. Raidon's interest rose, but he hid it. "And they talk weird!"

Karasu gave Sarutobi-san a look, and he elaborated, "They have sort of a hiss, like a snake too!"

Parseltongue? Raidon considered the possibility. Even though it was unlikely, it was something to look into...

The bell rung abruptly, and the three got up. Karasu and Raidon walked in to go learn some more. The teenager wondered why Sarutobi-san stayed behind.

X

Several days later after learning about the Henkei clan, Raidon and Karasu were talking while wandering aimlessly. The topics varied but mostly centered around 'how was your day' type things. They stopped for a minute, and Karasu looked around.

"Looks like we're on the south side of town." Raidon glanced about as well. The other suddenly shouted, "Hey, it's a clan compound!"

The oldest saw that there was indeed one. He suddenly remembered what Sarutobi-san had said about the Henkei clan. The duo suddenly shivered, but there was no wind. It felt wrong. "Let's get out of here."

Raidon almost nodded but then reminded himself of his little mission. There was silence. "You should go on, Karasu. I'll come in a bit."

Karasu eyed him with an unreadable look. The other unexpectedly felt a measure of pride. He had taught his friend well. He finally nodded his acceptance of the answer and walked off. Before leaving Raidon's sight, he turned his head to look back with a small smile. Raidon continued his way towards the compound. It was a slow-going process; every step seemed to be a struggle. At last, he came to stand on top of a large hill that overlooked most of the smaller buildings. At this time of the day, it was abandoned. The teenager could see no one and just stared a while at the seemingly empty spaces. No one walked, no one worked, no one _existed_. While a sense of surreality, he turned to go back.

An old woman stood there.

Her face was filled with wrinkles, and her hair was thin and white. Just like a regular old person. Except the eyes. They were golden, the whole of it. It was only just visible because of the white film covering it. Her eyes weren't as bad as the Hyuuga's but still scared him.

Raidon couldn't help but take a step back at the surprise. His own eyes widened of their own accord. She laughed, and it was a dry, rasping sound. "**Hello**."

Raidon snapped back as he heard the hiss. He demanded, as if in control of the situation, "**How**?"

She chuckled and instead responded cryptically, "**Realization comes the survivor of broken faith**."

Raidon blinked, and she was gone. He shook his head, not sure if he was seeing things or not. He took a step forward then felt compelled to look down.

A small white egg lay there.

He looked at it cautiously then decided to pick it up. When nothing happened at first touch, he turned it this way and that, examining the egg. There was nothing special about its appearance.

It was the _feel_ of the egg.

The problem wasn't the condition of the surface; it just had an odd energy. Raidon quickly put it in his pocket before he did anything more, feeling spooked. He walked away, determined to head back to Karasu's house. Without looking back.

Eventually, he got to his destination, thankfully without much thinking. Karasu opened the door, letting Raidon in noiselessly. The younger finally asked, "What took you so long?"

"Nothing," the other replied with a feigned nonchalance, "I was just looking around for a bit."

"Find anything?" Raidon answered in the negative. He conveniently omitted any mention of the egg. Something held him back from doing so, and he listened to his instincts.

X

_A young Harry Potter followed his large uncle, Vernon Dursley, as the 'family' walked through London._

"_Why I've _never_ seen –" As usual, Aunt Petunia was complaining about everything and anything. The busy streets attempted to separate Harry from his guardians. They almost succeeded, but Harry held strong. The little boy looked around nonetheless, marveling at all the new sights and sounds. Life on Privet Drive couldn't compare to this. Suddenly, he looked up from his examination of the floor when Vernon grabbed his arm._

"_Boy," he growled, "stay behind us."_

_Harry nodded meekly. He began his inspections again, ignoring the Dursley's orders, despite what the consequences would be. As he walked further, the crowd started to thin out. The boy finally looked in front of himself._

_But the Dursleys weren't there._

_He drew in a deep breath, shocked that he had lost them. Although he hated them, he grew scared when he realized they weren't coming back. A crow cawed. He looked around to the large black bird sitting on a lamppost nearby. Harry shivered, a strange feeling running down his spine. He looked around his surroundings further. He was currently in a dark alleyway and didn't know how he had gotten there. A sinister, whispered laugh rang out, and Harry jumped at the unexpected sound._

"_W-w-who's there?" he whispered, frightened. The laugh was there again, and then Harry got the feeling of a dog tilting its head._

I am me._ Harry spun around, terror increasing. _Down here, little Master.

_His head snapped downwards automatically. On the floor, only about two meters away, was the body the dead body of a rat. Its head was smashed in and the innards lay about. Its bones were all broken and almost completely flat._

He, he, he._ The insane call haunted the boy. It inquired, mock-innocently, _Don't you like me?

_There was a silence beyond Harry's heavy breathing._

_It suddenly let out a _roar_ of anger, and Harry recoiled violently. He let out a cry in fright. The walls suddenly seemed to be closing in on him and –_

"_BOY!" Vernon pulled his fat body around a corner and announced his presence. Petunia followed, a permanent sneer on her face. Dudley, meekly for once, brought up the rear. Harry walked to his uncle, holding his head down, fighting the overwhelming urge to run. He whimpered as he remembered the voice. "Boy, get over here!"_

_As he tagged along the leaving of his 'family', Harry noticed that _it_ stayed miraculously silent._

X

"_Hello, little Potter," Peter Pettigrew said mock-sweetly with a wide, malicious grin that gave away his intentions. Harry growled. _

"_I knew there was something wrong with that damned rat!" he whispered sibilantly, almost slipping into Parseltongue in his anger. Pettigrew's grin faltered a bit. He put it back up quickly though. After all, it was only him and the Potter now; Master would be so pleased. Here they stood, eye to eye, because of their similar heights (despite the age difference). The rat animagus saw a hint of _something_ in the other's eyes. _

_Then it clicked. _

"_Ah!" he crowed. "You've inherited _his_ talents, I see."_

_Harry blinked at the unexpected statement in confusion. Pettigrew gave a sound that was suspiciously like a squeal of delight. "Dumbledore hasn't told you, _has_ he?"_

"_What are you talking about!" Harry barked. The animagus snickered. "That's for _me_ to know and _you_ to find out," he giggled rather childishly, giving off an air of insanity. _

"_Tell me!" Harry commanded. The rat's grin widened. _

"_You'll never know!" he chuckled. "Your poor mother, poor, poor Lily..." _

_This made the thirteen year old even angrier. Anything involving his parents seemed to be a sensitive topic. Suddenly, Harry became a spectator of the moment, a boy watching the movie of his life. His hand reached out as _something_ seeped out of his pores, coming out of the woodwork for this occasion. It was terrifying, that Avada Kedavra sludge that was surrounding the very air around him. The magic shifted and flowed lazily. Pettigrew backed up rapidly and fell to the floor with a high-pitched _squeak_. _

"_Break," Harry growled with a deep and powerful voice, hand still raised towards the rat. The sludge quickened and struck out like lightning. It hit the other's head, and the teenager was thrust into a memory. He could sense Pettigrew's pain as he ripped it out of his mind. _

_**The feeling in the air was happy and carefree. A red-haired woman was inside a house, reading a **_**Witch's Weekly**_** magazine. Her eyes intently scanned line after line with a hunger for knowledge. A door opened to her far right, and a black-haired man walked in with a smile. **_

"_**Hello, Lily!" he chirped then leaned down to kiss her cheek. **_

"_**Hi, James –" she said then stopped and sniffed James. "Honey, what have you been doing? You smell funny..."**_

_**She sniffed again. "You smell like sulfur, James."**_

"_**It's nothing, Lily Tiger," he responded, waving the abnormality off. She frowned slightly. **_

"_**If you say so, James, but I think you should shower."**_

"_**But, Lily Tiger..." James pouted. **_

"_**No," she insisted firmly, "go take a shower."**_

_**Unexpectedly, he growled like a wild animal and kissed her brutally. **_

"_**James!" she cried. He continued to attack her, mouth now on her neck. James bit her harshly, and she cried out while flailing in an attempt to escape. He forced her back down, and she struggled harder. **_

"_**Stay put, bitch!" he roared menacingly. **_

"_**James!" Lily sobbed, tears running rapidly down her cheeks. "What are you doing!"**_

_**Then, her husband began to change. **_

_**His shaggy black hair became longer and wavier with a streak of white in the front. His teeth sharpened, and Lily could feel it. His skin became a shade between a gray and a pale human tone. Claws grew, and something behind him flickered like a flame before solidifying into a serpentine tail. Lastly, his eyes became snake-like slits on an Avada Kedavra green background. **_

"_**Demon!" Lily screeched at the **_**thing**_** that once bore the likeness of her precious James. It tilted its head like a curious dog. **_

"_**Correct," it responded then grinned maliciously, "do you want a prize?"**_

_**She struggled even harder in sheer desperation. **_

"_**You're not going anywhere," it hissed then slammed her against the chair. It looked down, still with that insane smirk, for a moment before deciding to throw Lily to the floor. "Let's have some fun, **_**shall we**_**?"**_

_**She screamed, but no one heard. **_

_**It quickly slithered on top of her and held her wrists above her head. It leaned down so that they were face to face, and the scent of sulfur overwhelmed Lily's senses. The tears already there poured out in record amounts and speed. It put its thin lips to hers again. Its tongue sought out her mouth, and she found that the organ was forked. Sharp canines bit her lower lip, drawing a copious amount of blood. Lily finally noticed the hand that had been trailing downwards all the while. It lifted up her skirt, and she cursed her choice of garments for the day. Deciding to forgo foreplay, it grabbed her crotch through the underwear. Feeling the cloth barrier, the demon swiftly tore it with its talons, leaving bloody scratches in its wake. They then dove into her with not-so-small cuts. The fingernails moved a bit then it smirked and licked its lips. "Thiss isss going to be **_**good**_**."**_

_**Its eyes drew half-mast, and Lily looked away. The fight was all out of her by now, and she was simply tired of everything. The demon snapped a finger, and its clothes disappeared. Lily's eyes widened in fear at the massive intrusion that awaited her. Quick as lightning, it positioned itself then thrust in to the hilt on the first go. She screamed shrilly. As it fell into a fast-paced motion of in and out, she eventually went limp, mind turning in on itself. The pain and mental anguish was too much to bear. **_

_**Eventually, the demon finished, sending its seed into her and leaving with a sick sound. It stared down at her glazed eyes that looked towards nothing. It 'smiled' condescendingly and patted her cheek. "Good girl."**_

_**The **_**creak**_** of the door opening caught both of their attentions. The demon gave a lick to Lily's cheek. "I'll be seeing you later."**_

"_**Lily Tiger?" Just as the door to the living room opened, it disappeared in a cloud of blue-gray sulfurous-smelling air. The real James walked in. **_

_Harry stumbled back and laid wide eyes on the trembling and cowering Pettigrew. The animagus looked up with his head still clutched in his hands. _

"_They tried to get rid of it, you know," he whispered with a mad giggle, "but some things can never be undone."_

_The boy was filled with rage. His clenched hands shook and turned white. He lunged, but Pettigrew had expected this. He turned into a rat and scurried away into the night, ending their impromptu meeting. _

_Harry never got the chance to finish him off. _

X

_A thirteen year old Harry was walking along Privet Drive, going to his favorite place here – the park._

_A crow gave a _caw_ in the distance._

_He didn't show any reaction, used to it by now. It seemed as if the black birds followed him everywhere. Most times during his childhood he imagined turning into one and following the murder. He knew such things were impossible now. He was trapped here for another four years. In the scheme of things, that was a lot. Harry didn't expect to live past Voldemort. As if in response to his thoughts, the crow uttered another _caw_. If it could sound sympathetic, Harry believed that the sound would've been. He finally reached the park and sat down on the lone unbroken swing._

"_You understand, don't you?" he asked the crow that was nestled in a nearby tree. It cawed back. "I thought so."_

_He hummed a little tune that came to mind then sang it, "Ring around the rosy, pockets full of posies..."_

_Harry trailed off and stopped singing the old rhyme. Dudley had arrived and was looking at his cousin from across the park. Piers, next to him, sighed in relief as Harry ended. It had sounded haunting somehow and scared the boy more than a little. Dudley sneered._

"_Singing's for _fags_," he announced. Piers nodded dumbly beside him. Harry just stared. Dudley wasn't affected, but the other could see the intense green hidden beyond the large spectacles. He could see the loathing, the resentment. He could see the sadism bubbling just beneath the surface. Piers shivered a bit. Not paying the slightest of attentions to his comrade, Dudley stepped forward, attempting to intimidate his cousin. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"_

_The fat boy spat at Harry's feet, but green eyes never left his face. Harry slowly stood up and never broke the gaze. Even Dudley, ever the oblivious one, was starting to get freaked out at the raging fire in those orbs. This time it was _Harry_ that took a step forward, _Dudley_ going backwards. They all stared at each other in silence. A call from one of the many ravens broke it. "Go, Dudley."_

_It was spoken low and confidently. And threateningly. The fat male stomped his foot childishly. "No!"_

_Harry's expression did not waver. Suddenly and out of nowhere, his fist came up and hit his cousin's face with a force Dudley had not seen the likes of. He held his bleeding nose and growled. He tried to copy the action but failed as Harry caught his hand. Dudley and Piers looked at it in disbelief._

"_Wha – " The Dursley cut himself off with a cry of pain as Harry squeezed it tightly._

"_Go away," Harry commanded. Dudley refused, and he squeezed with a bit more force. The other boy whimpered._

"_Okay! Okay!" The green-eyed boy finally let go, and he breathed an audible sigh of relief. He nervously glanced at his cousin, suddenly seeing him in a new light. Another crow cawed as the two bullies left, and they both shivered. There was something not right with that boy._

_They dreamed of ravens that night._

X

Two days later, Karasu and Raidon met back at the forest behind the playground, where they had first seen each other. It had been decided to meet here by Karasu so that he could tell his friend more about the Inku clan. They walked there in a comfortable silence, and Karasu began to get lost in his thoughts. Once there, they sat down with their backs to a large tree.

"You wanted to know more about my clan?" Karasu asked as a conversation starter. Raidon replied that, yes, he did want to. The younger male nodded. "Well, all that I've told you before was true. The boy the story involved was named Kuma, the founder of the Inku clan. And, as you know, most clans have their own special ability. The Inku clan ability lies in our 'tattoos' – each with their own unique design. They're based on animals. Each animal means a specific power, along with the Inku abilities. Theirs is the power to create animals out of ink, their one only, as well as…

"… Being able to steal others'… energy. Our markings 'move' when one of these is being used, and this separates us physically from shinobi with actual tattoos. It was easy to recognize an Inku, even beyond the 'ink' because we take on some of the features of our animal. An Inku clan seer is always there to predict a little of the future of a new child so the correct name can be chosen.

"Because of our abilities, the Inku clan has gained many enemies. They were lesser known than the clans like the Uchiha, but had gained their own notoriety as assassins. But when Konoha was founded, they jumped at the chance to join. My clan was a small one to begin with and needed to keep the members from getting killed off. However, unknown enemies had followed us. They plotted to take down the Inku, bitter at their defeats and deaths. They attacked and succeeded in their plans."

All this was said in a strange monotone, vastly different from Karasu's normal exuberance. He sniffed and looked down. Raidon hesitantly wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. The other rested his head on the older male. They stayed like that for a while, one taking in the comfort of the other.

"I have a confession to make..." Raidon stiffened, afraid for some reason unknown to him. "I've been trying to... trying to learn some Forbidden Jutsu. I wanted revenge and started reading scrolls about them in the Inku archives. It started out small, but the urge grew bigger."

He whispered, "I can't stop now."

Now, without any hesitation, Raidon hugged him. Karasu melted into the embrace. It had been a while since he had felt like this. Raidon curiously asked, "What other kinds of jutsu are you studying?"

The younger blushed. "Lots of them – sometimes, I'll try elemental ones. They don't work."

Raidon perked up. "Really?"

The other nodded. Raidon considered it; it sounded interesting. "Can I join?"

Karasu looked at him in surprise. He then bobbed his head again. As he was thinking in silence, a thought triggered another.

Forbidden.

The ritual section.

"I have something to show you," he said, "but you'll have to be patient."

Karasu tilted his head, golden eyes glowing with curiosity. The other was again reminded of a bird. Yes, Road to Perdition was perfect to show his curious mind. Karasu would help him.

X

Raidon was in the south side of Konoha; no one seemed to be here as much as the other parts. After much debating, he made the decision to try some elemental jutsu (Karasu had told him a few) in secret. He was also here for another purpose.

To experiment with his demon side.

Once alone, he allowed his 'belt' to unfurl and sighed in pleasure. His serpentine tail flickered back and forth a little. It was hell sometimes to keep it wrapped around his waist and disguised. He sat down, mindful of the appendage, and crossed his legs. Raidon closed his eyes then relaxed, falling into a sort of trance.

"**What are you doing here**?" he heard after he delved into his mind. The eight-tails was behind a door made of bars that looked to be made of chakra. It was curled up and looked at him with sleepy red eyes. The space inside the cage was onyx black, making the eyes glow creepily. It didn't appear to be mad with Raidon, but rather, tired still. It had an aura of having given up on the world. "**Do you require something**?"

Raidon stared at it for a moment. He asked, "**What became of your powers**?"

There was a silence then the sound of its 'scales' shifting as it reared up. It gazed downwards upon the teenager. Shadows covered most of the demon, obscuring Raidon's view as they danced across it. The Shadows were there to bind the snake but twirled, excited to see their Master. He repeated his earlier question. The snake didn't answer, and he growled in anger. Without verbal command, the Shadows reacted to his thoughts and immediately tightened their hold. The demon hissed in pain and displeasure. It said, "**You can't kill me, you know**."

Raidon ignored the statement. He took a step forward. "**You **_**will**_** tell me**."

The Shadows squeezed a bit more. It attempted to swing its tails nervously but failed. The lead head's tongue flickered out to taste the air.

"**They are hidden**," it hissed finally. Raidon eyed the eight-tails suspiciously. "**Lucifer demands retribution**."

"**Lucifer does not exist**!" Raidon yelled, frustrated.

"**He goes by many names**," it said sagely. "**You must be careful; a gift of His lies with you**."

There was once more a hush as he digested this. Somehow, he just _knew_ the demon wouldn't answer if he inquired about this _gift_. Scarily calm, he asked, "**What powers remain**?"

"**The ability to control the earth... and Atropos' bane**." Raidon was about to reply when everything started to rapidly fade to white. He changed his plans of speech.

"**I must go**."

Then, he was reeled out of his mind.

When Raidon opened his eyes, the senses of everything rushed back to him. He sensed Karasu not too far off. Swiftly, he hid his tail without detection. After turning in that direction, he saw inquisitive yellow eyes gazing at him.

"Meditating?" Raidon nodded and got up. Despite lying by omission, to his friend, he felt he needed to keep this secret to himself a little longer. Karasu, unaware of the other's thoughts, asked if he wanted to join him in his elemental practices. Hardly needing to think about it, he replied in the positive. Karasu looked excited, then his face suddenly fell.

"We don't know what type of element you have..."

"Earth," Raidon said, unable to stop himself. The younger was puzzled but let it slide.

"I'm Wind, but I'm sure we can work together."

"Then let's get to it."

X

"_**Judas**_," Raidon said, calling for his familiar. Shadows pooled, and a figure emerged. He hummed as he petted Judas. "_**You've gotten bigger, I see**_."

His familiar rattled in pleasure. "_**We're going to see a friend today**_."

"_**Who, Master**_?" he asked curiously.

"_**He is called Karasu**_." Judas tilted his small head to the side, as if listening to something.

"_**I sense a Darkness**_," he said. Raidon gave him a weird look, then it dawned on him.

"_**That is nothing, little one, just a book**_." Judas bobbed his head in acceptance. He stopped his petting and turned to go in a different direction. He looked back at the trailing Judas with affection. He looked forwards again then broke into a run, dimension pouch bouncing against his hips.

When they finally got there, the two saw Karasu sitting on a rock, looking around with bored eyes. He looked up when Raidon purposely broke a twig underfoot. He smiled then it dropped when he saw Raidon's familiar.

"What...?" Karasu, it seemed, couldn't even finish his question.

"Karasu," the other introduced, "this is Judas. He's my... companion."

"How did you...?" Raidon considered telling his friend about his past (at least a part of it), but discarded the plan. Karasu wasn't ready.

"It's a long story; I'll tell you later." Karasu knew better than to ask – the teenager was extremely sensitive about some things. He was sure this was one. He then changed the topic.

"You wanted to show me something?" he asked.

"Ah, yes!" The Tsuki reached over to his hip to untie a pouch, and they boy wondered what could possibly be in it. He glanced cautiously at the unknown animal to Raidon's left, unsure of the whole situation. Raidon opened it and put his mouth near the edge.

"Road to Perdition," he called, just as Karasu was about to ask, with his eyes closed. Karasu ogled at the phenomenon. The other suddenly placed his hand over it and pulled something out with the speed of a striking cobra. It was a book. Raidon's companion... rattled in what seemed like pleasure.

"What I have to show you," he said, holding up the book, "is in this book."

Karasu got off of the rock to come look at it closer. He peered at his friend's piece of literature when he opened it and held it out at a level at which Karasu could see. He was vaguely aware of the animal practically purring at the sight of the book. As if hypnotized, he reached out a hand to touch it. Raidon watched silently with a strange look on his face and let him do so. Then the Inku's hand landed.

He stiffened suddenly as images filled his head. They flew past so fast he wasn't able to dissect them, and he was only hanging on to reality by a thread, so engrossed in the book as he was. He caught a few things though.

A short man in a white doctor's coat looking down at a cut-up woman on a surgical table.

Another man in a strange green outfit raising a stiff right hand outwards.

A creature in human skin, grinning with sharp, pointed canines.

Blood on the floor, spreading out as tiny rivers from an ocean.

The stream stopped abruptly.

Karasu was left gasping heavily as he gripped Raidon's book hard. As his senses returned, he felt betrayed by his friend for some reason. He pulled back and released the book as if burned.

"Karasu – " Raidon started but stopped himself. The other was about to speak but refrained, as had Raidon, when he saw the look on his face. He, for once, appeared frightened and sad. He reached out a hand pathetically, but it came up short. The air around them chilled unexpectedly at a swift rate as Judas reacted to his Master's emotions. A haunting, threatening sound came from him. They both snapped their heads towards the familiar. Raidon pleaded, "Judas..."

Karasu's anger abandoned him. After a moment of the two staring at each other, the Tsuki looked away. His eyes softened.

"It's okay, Raidon," he said quietly. "It's just – what was that?"

Raidon's head whipped up, and he smiled a bit. He then explained, "That was the book. It was testing you."

The other gazed at the object still in his friend's hands. "Testing... me?"

"It does that," was all he said in reply. A silence fell upon them.

"What did you want to show me, besides that?" Karasu asked cautiously. Raidon brightened up.

"A certain section." He brought the book over, Karasu eying it and the trailing Judas all the while. He sat on the floor after Raidon himself did. The Tsuki laid the book on his lap, opened up to the _Cannibal Rituals_ section. The younger read the title and gave Raidon an odd glance. In answer, he said bravely, "I found a simple one. I want to try it out."

Karasu decided to contemplate it for the sake of his friend. "Why?"

"Power." At last, the boy's golden eyes lit up in interest.

They started to read after that and soon became engrossed in the ritual Raidon had chosen. They began to plan everything – from the place to the one who would get certain materials. The whole of every material thing the duo needed was divided up. They would begin immediately, but it would take a while. As they said their goodbyes, Raidon held back a grin. He thought Karasu would help him and was, thankfully, correct. He uncharacteristically whistled jovially as he walked the streets back to the Uchiha compound.

It felt good to have his first step towards _true_ power started.

X

He watched from afar, hidden, as the boy trained in the Uchiha training grounds. The younger had gotten better recently. It was because of his friend from the infamous Inku clan.

Oh, yes, he knew about that.

However, he did not know everything about the enigma that was Tsuki Raidon. Despite his many eyes throughout the village, the boy remained elusive at times. He had seen their attempts at elemental chakra that failed most times. That they knew what their first element was what gave him his initiative to continue his plan. He knew the time was almost upon the key players to act. He planned to play his own part.

And Uchiha Madara never failed.

He would need the Tsuki to take his role in the play, and to do that, Madara had to act soon, faster than the others. The boy had been an unexpected surprise, as he was loathe to admit, but now fit perfectly. When the boy was ready, the last piece of the trap would be set. Madara could plainly see Tsuki's potential and would use it for his own purpose. Although, he was intelligent enough to admit to himself that the boy may grow into something one day, dangerous not to him but other people as well (not that he cared too much about them) as well as several of his carefully laid plots. There was something, though, about him that seemed familiar, but Madara couldn't place it. He hated this with every fiber of his being – not knowing when it appeared to be in his grasp. But no matter, it was nothing of great importance at the moment. After this first act was done, patience would be essential. Madara knew this but was not good at waiting games. But, fortunately, he had the knowledge on how to pass the time.

From his perch on a tree, Madara looked at the only other Uchiha there, a distant cousin of his. He contemplated him behind an emotionless face. Yes, he just might do.

X

Raidon twirled the staff around, the other one on the ground nearby. He was practicing with it because he hadn't had much time earlier to do this. Academy work and such, though easy, took up his time these days. Also, he frequently felt the need to look at the egg over and over again. Something just _drew_ him towards it like a magnetic connection. Although now, he was ignoring it, still swinging that staff he had found in the Department of Mysteries around. They were calming motions to Raidon, and he closed his eyes while doing so. He went through the different stances, much like an intricate dance. His black hair, long now, waved behind him, and his serpentine tail, once again free, also swung back and forth for balance.

It was nice being alone for once. Raidon loved this place now, but it was hard to separate from everyone for a while. A small smile graced his lips.

The reason he was training with this particular staff was that it had been acting... strange lately. It was oddly silent, for one. Most staves, as far as he knew, had their own 'personality' that was unique to that one only. He could _feel_ the other staff's 'feelings' and 'responses'. It was hard to explain. The wooden staff with the snake carved on it never hummed nor had whispers of chakra crossed his skin. Despite this abnormality, it was a wonderful weapon to work with. Raidon, he knew, connected with it on some level that he couldn't explain.

He was brought out of his pondering when a twig snapped, breaking the serene silence. He opened his eyes and saw a deer. When they made eye contact, the animal froze with fear, perhaps sensing his aura. They both stood there, not moving at all. Then, finally, the deer moved a bit, taking a simple step back.

Raidon's vision clouded with red.

He snarled and gripped the staff tighter, hands turning white. It was a sudden and unexpected thing, this feeling of complete and utter _rage_. It was senseless, serving no purpose. Some kind of energy flowed from the weapon in his hand into Raidon. Its invisible and non-materialistic lines pulsed angrily. His hands trembled harshly as he attempted to keep it at bay. The deer had gone still again, brown eyes trained on him. Unable to restrain himself, he swung the staff towards the animal finally. It deftly hopped out of the way, but the staff just barely missed. Raidon's face contorted as he brought himself under control. He quickly dropped it after accomplishing this. He gazed blankly upon it.

This wasn't the first time this had happened, unfortunately. He noticed himself getting more violent lately at times, if only inwardly. He had thought it was a coincidence before when he happened to be holding this particular staff and had a fit of rage that burned like no other. Now, the second time, he realized it was no accident.

There was something wrong with it.

He walked around it with caution and picked up his other staff. He wrapped his tail around as a belt again then put the trench coat on, ready to leave. It was time to leave the thing behind; its malicious vibes didn't feel right to him. He started to walk away, but once he was 5 meters off, he stopped. It was _calling_ him to it, a sweet Siren's call. He tried to move forward but found it difficult, exactly what had happened at the Henkei clan compound. He struggled some but the efforts were useless. Making his inevitable decision, he went back to stare at it once more. He leaned down and touched it. Then, the images flashed through his mind.

"_Hey!" a boy yelled as he walked towards the raven-haired teenager with an angry face (which was, in all actuality, pretty funny in its ugliness). All the Academy students stopped what they were doing (it _was_ a free-for-all training session) in anticipation of a fight. The few sensei there lazily, yet alertly, eyed the boy and Raidon, fairly confident they could stop something if needed. The fight promised to be pretty intense though. The boy just happened to be one of those that had previously tormented Karasu. Raidon never did get his name, but it was unnecessary. He leaned against a tree, staff nearby (he had chosen to take it to the Academy for once), with a mocking grin and a glint in his eyes. The eerie green orbs promised many things. _

_This boy would pay. _

_Ignoring, or perhaps oblivious to, the warning hidden there, he finally stood in front of the taller male, legs apart and head lifted. The effect was lessened by his small stature, however. Raidon just lifted an eyebrow. He fumbled and pulled out a kunai, falling into a standard stance. Never breaking eye connection, the other pushed off of the tree slowly, grabbing his staff along the way. It was one he had 'borrowed' from the Department of Mysteries, and the kids ogled at it. The bully, too, glanced at it curiously for a moment. He then focused on Raidon. _

"_You'll pay for what you've done!" he proclaimed, standing tall in the face of danger (not that he thought of it like that). _

"_Pay for what?" the Tsuki asked. _

"_For helping that _freak_," he growled in response. Raidon's eyes hardened. _

"What_ did you call him?" It was whispered in a deadly voice dripping with venom. The boy lifted his head higher in compensation for his fear. Raidon could smell it though. He leaned in , down to the younger's level, and grinned manically, all for the dubious pleasure of the other. The smaller male was the only one who saw it. Meanwhile, the sensei shifted minutely at the weapons in sight and change in atmosphere. By now, the students had formed a tightly-packed circle around them. Karasu watched, unnoticed, in the background, ready to intervene if necessary. Raidon returned to his normal position. In a ploy, he glanced aside to some of the many faces, pretending not to pay attention. With a less than impressive speed, the boy swiped his kunai at Raidon. He swung around abruptly and blocked, the metal not even making a knick in the wooden staff. A surprised expression etched itself on the boy's face._

_Raidon smirked, covering his own mirrored expectation (not that it was _that_ large; he knew _something_ was up with it). He pushed back with an amazing amount of force for his lean frame. The kid skidded backwards, still holding out the kunai with a dogged determination. His face was set with that and bravely glanced at Raidon again. The other held out his staff like a spear in an intimidating pose. The younger started to doubt himself. He waved his kunai around at random then dropped it on accident. Its sharp edges caught on his leg, the body part starting to ooze blood lightly. _

_That's when the urge came._

_It commanded him to attack, make the crimson flow, satisfy its blood-thirsty predilection. He tried not to make a face as he struggled internally. The sensei grew wary, seeing the small cut. They didn't interfere yet; they thought it was a petty schoolboy fight. To them, it was harmless. All except one. The one out of the few sensei 'saw' the danger there and the fluctuating killing intent in the air, almost going and coming too quick to be identified. She backed off slowly throughout the fight, making sure not to be seen. She then activated her Byakugan, wanting to see what was wrong. Then she saw _it_._

_It was swirling dark brown with black smudges in a tower above the teenager's head. She could see the chakra system, too, glowing brightly. Eyes, completely red, stared at her menacingly from the tower, almost making her recoil in surprise (and perhaps a bit of fear). A short snout opened, using its amazing jaws to reveal fangs. The swirling monstrosity swayed back and forth in an unknown dance. Just like the snake it was. A long tongue flickered out, and the venom dripped, fading into nothingness halfway down. The Hyuuga focused entirely on the chakra serpent and not the Tsuki. The snake hissed at her then, a chilling sound she could not interpret. She shut off her Byakugan, submitting to the creature's unspoken demand. She breathed even as to not alert her fellow shinobi then rejoined them on the outskirts. _

_Raidon now had the kid on the ground, and his staff was pointed at his neck. The boy swallowed. _

"_I give up!" he cried. One red-haired adult decided to come in finally and break it up._

"_Alright, enough," he called as he walked to the two. Raidon took his weapon away and gave the bully a look meant only for him, one full of intent. Then the bell rang and the various boys and girls scattered and scrambled to their class. Sensei walked around unhurriedly. Karasu joined Raidon once again, but they stayed silent. It wasn't a concern; they understood._

He quickly let go of the serpent-carved staff as if burned, the memory fading. His eyes ran up and down the staff's length, wide-eyed. He was compelled to touch it again and did so. Nothing happened this time, as if the weapon was normal. He dropped it again to make sure absolutely nothing occurred. Raidon looked back at the staff on the ground, regarding it warily still. It stayed silent, not a hint of life. Picking it up, he studied the staff closely, looking for any sort of hint. He found none. Raidon decided that he would keep a close eye on the thing. As if sensing his thoughts, it vibrated in a subtle movement, almost not enough to catch.

Meanwhile, the snake egg, unseen, gained a pale yellow-white glow.

X

Raidon was in the now-familiar forest with Karasu, ingredients laid before them on plates.

"Are you sure we have it all?" Karasu asked. The other looked everything over.

"Yes." Karasu hummed, gazing at them too. "Let's get going."

Karasu took the wine-soaked hawk feathers (acquired from a messenger bird) and started to place them in a large ring, tip to tip, then came back to the center where Raidon was. The other gathered the dog bones to set them in a perfect triangle where the points all connected with the circle. He stepped back to the center, never once touching the feathers or the other, placed bones. He put a special bowl made of shattuckite (taken form Karasu's house) and gently placed it on the large charred yew bark piece. The Tsuki formed some quick hand signs to use a jutsu, a simple one learned from the Academy, to light the wood with some sparks. It burst into flames, and the two let it sit for a while so the wine in it could boil.

This was all done in silence, as the ritual called for. Once it started to do what it was supposed to do, the Inku swiftly put in the powdered fox canines. They both sat down and waited for three minutes. Raidon pulled the preserved finger from a plate, and it mysteriously dissolved on its own. The other poured the concoction into two cups. He raised his own as if to toast, and Raidon mirrored the action. At the same time, they both drank it. At first, nothing happened.

Then, the circle began to glow.

The light was colored an ivory white then the maroon of the wine joined in but never managed to meld. It turned into fire that raged, still the same color, but did not burn anything. It was cold, chilling Karasu and Raidon's skins, but they did not move.

The faces began to form.

They were grotesque and stretched, the masks of humans and beasts alike. They _were_ the flames themselves and danced and moved to a forgotten, long-silent melody. It looked like something from a picture made with Hell's paints. Their mouths opened and closed, the unheard screams of the tortured dead trapped in an eternal abyss. They both stared back at the menacing, sad, and desperate eyes, all pitch black. Then, the fire started to close in with the face-flames swaying faster with each centimeter gained. It was a blended mass, almost too fast to catch a glimpse of any individual. The flames stopped all at once when they came in contact with the dog bones. They solidified into ice, the faces finally stilling. The fire finally reached a height of 220 centimeters.

The ice shattered.

At the same time, the Tsuki and Inku slumped to the ground in a faint. The glass-like substance rained upon them, oddly enough making no damage. Unseen, black began to etch itself upon both of their right shoulder blades. Karasu's markings moved to make room as the other tainted Raidon's unmarked skin. The picture it formed was that of two images. The first was a skull with its mouth open and pointed canines showing. Karasu's was a light shade of gray while the other's was a darker gray. Near its mouth lay the second image: a pure white apple. The only sign of actual color was the maroon leaf sticking out of the top of the fruit. The apple had a single bite taken out of it.

X

_Dear Diary,_

_Saru was acting weird today. Sometimes I wish I was a Yamanaka so that I could see what goes on in his mind. I wish I could say that he was acting odd because his thoughts again rested on the fact that we are friends yet in two separate clans. I'm afraid, however, that this is not the case. I try to deny that look in the eyes of his clan but cannot. This fact haunts me day and night at times. The glint in those orbs of all colors, the animal-like instinct and _bloodthirstiness_. I see my monkey friend as the nice person he is, but I also, upon occasion, take a glimpse of the sadism... It bubbles just beneath the surface. He terrifies me sometimes. I try to look the other way at their bloody, gruesome actions and battles. It is impossible when it's staring you in the face though. Just yesterday, K__ô__mori ripped the head off of a Hyuuga and tipped the severed body part towards his mouth. He drank his fill. K__ô__mori's blood-stained tongue swiped at his lips as a content, cat-like look came to rest upon his face._

_It is a sight I hope to never see again. That day, intestines were wrapped as a parody of a necklace on Kaba's neck. Sweet, sweet Kaba; such a normally nice kid. He's cheery and is still that way even when people tease him about his weight. At least, when they're doing that, it appears that way. But, I swear, his doe brown eyes go red for a split second. Even being a highly trained shinobi, it is hard to catch, looking to be a figment of the imagination. Being this close to them, I think it's highly plausible. Though, for the sake of Saru, I stick by. They treat me as one of their own, perhaps recognizing something in me. This is more than fine for me. _

_I never hope to see the wrath of an Inku. _

_Their little animals, scratched in thin air, dance around them, black as the night. Even the 'drawings' are horrifying at times; they attack with such fervor. Their joy outmatches that of their creator sometimes. Saru's clan, for sure, is one to be feared. _

_I'm once again glad that the Fire Country hired both of our clans. The ones we fight... They seem mere children when compared to the Inku working together most times. I have not seen all of the clans however. I hear of one, a name they whisper in secret, everyone: Uchiha. _

_They are violent. _

_They are ruthless._

_They are _monsters_._

_I have dreams, nightmares really, of both clans, separate of course. To think, if they ever were combined..._

_I shudder at the results, ones far too unimaginable. _

_Actually, now that I think of it, all the Inku have been shifting, waiting for something. I can hear them at night, plotting, when I stay over. Although, nothing is clear; I hear only bits and pieces. Right now, Saru is outside of the tent, laughing and joking, being the mischievous monkey he is. It's at times like these I can pretend he's normal._

_It all sounds like_

_Sorry, I have to go now. I'll talk to you later._

_All My Love,_

_Yumi_

X

**NOTES**:

Inku means 'ink' in English.

Karasu means 'crow' in English.

Saru means 'monkey' in English.

Kômori means 'bat' in English.

Kaba means 'hippopotamus' in English.

Kuma means 'bear' in English.

220 centimeters is about 7 feet.

Ritual Guide:

The circle in here is the exact same one Hidan uses. The ingredients all have a specific meaning/purpose. The hawk is a bird that hunts things swiftly; they use the feathers to 'hunt down' the power. Wine is tempting and is there to do the same to the power, drawing it in. This amplifies the hawk feathers. The dog bones are from an animals that is the tamed form of a wolf. They use these to 'tame' the power once they reach that point. The yew is a tree of life and death (so says the Internet and Harry Potter), meaning they are making something new. The fox is a cunning and mischievous animal, and the canine teeth are the sharpest of all. This helps the power to know where to go and to become stronger. Shattuckite, a stone says the Internet, helps people feel more connected with their work. This helps the whole ritual. The finger is there, of course, because it is a _cannibal_ ritual.

TBL: Thanks for reading, all. Sorry, for those of you with short attention spans, that this is so long. T'was the only way things could ever get done. Anyways, I thank you for reading on this fine, lovely day. Also, a big hug to all my reviewers out there (you know who you are). You guys will have to deal with my crappy dictionary translations at the moment so please don't complain about such things. Do you know what I just realized? The thunder god is actually Raid**e**n... Damn Internet. Today's program is sponsored by the letter **K**. Edits are brought to you by your local car dealer and Stalker of Stories. May we all be eternally thankful.

About Orochimaru... Well, I debated with Self and we made the choice to include him next chapter. _However_, he's going to be young. After that chapter, he'll be older and take a more involved role.

Also, a wonderful reviewer asked me about Karasu. I'm currently pondering on whether or not I'm going to put him with Raidon temporarily OR not all OR put him in the main pairing... ::sigh::


	4. Eyes That See Part One

Death's Pale Court – Eyes That See (Part One)

**TBL**: Hello, my pretties. Anyways, sorry for being so late. Suffice to say, there really are no proper excuses for me to spout out. I'm just a lazy SOB. I probably should put something else in here, but I completely forgot what it was (that happens a lot). Oh well.

**Disclaimer**: I, Tainted Blood Lust, do not own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter. They belong to their respective owners. I _DO_ however own this plot. Please, no stealing.

**Special Chapter Warnings**: some blood and gore (battle scene results)

**MUST READ NOTE**: There's a part in here about the Hyuuga teacher from chapter three. Assume that instead that Raidon doesn't know that she saw the eight-tails. I'm going to fix that part. Eventually. If anyone doesn't read this note and complains of being confused about that, I have every right to call you an idiot.

Enjoy.

X

"To that high Capital, where kingly Death

Keeps his pale court in beauty and decay,

He came."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

X

_A twelve year old Harry Potter stared through the opening in the cabinet door. A long-haired blond man glared at a shorter, shifty one, in a wealthy and aristocratic pose._

"_Borgin, I will not say it again," he said in a posh accent that fit his demeanor. The other, Borgin apparently, looked defiant for a moment before cowering when the blond stroked his snake-headed cane._

"_Yes, Lucius," he said meekly, finally, after the taller fingered the cloth covering his left forearm. Harry didn't understand the gesture but figured that it was wholly frightening to Borgin._

"_Do not presume you know me, fool," Lucius hissed, getting in Borgin's face. He coolly and gracefully straightened up when another blond, a younger clone of the first, walked in. Harry's eyes widened. It was Malfoy!_

"_Father, I have found–"_

"_Draco." The tone in the older Malfoy's voice made his son stop in his arrogant request. His mouth closed while Harry's stayed open in shock. Malfoy could actually shut up?_

"_Remember what we _agreed_ upon. I will be awaiting that shipment on the second," he said then left, the youn__ger Malfoy on his heels. Borgin stared as they walked away and grumbled to himself under his __breath. Then, he himself wandered off and almost bumped into something. Harry couldn't see what it was clearly, but it caused a terrified look to cross Borgin's fa__ce. He swiftly side-stepped it, mumbling._

"_I should get rid of that stupid thing." When he was out of sight and the coast was clear, Harry came out, careful to make no noise. Out of a burning curiosity, he wandered to the thing that had troubled Borgin to peer at it. It certainly was strange but didn't seem all that scary to Harry. There was a small paper tag on the floor nearby, and Harry assumed that it belonged to the odd, egg-looking, lopsided sphere._

Beware the Hope Eater.

_Harry tilted his head, puzzled. What in the world was a 'Hope Eater'? He again looked at it. It was a sickly yellow oval with black that crept up like vines. They looked rather liked polluted veins. Feeling somehow drawn towards it, Harry reached out a hand to touch the 'Hope Eater'._

_It reached out to meet him instead._

_A midnight vein unattached itself from the thing and lashed out like a whip. It attempted to wrap around his finger, but with the reflexes of a Seeker, he pulled back. But not before the thing broke some skin. It retracted, taking just a single drop of blood with it. The vine reattached to the 'egg', and the red droplet was absorbed. Where it had been taken in turned bleach white. Harry watched, fascinated, as the color slowly spread like blood being pumped through a body. Then, it started to give off a peculiar aura. It wasn't a light show – just a feeling that hung in the air. Images, whether fantasy or real, began to run through his mind, each clamoring for attention. Then, he realized what the unknown emotion was: despair. One scene in particular stood out._

"_**Stand aside, silly girl!" a voice hissed in the black background. Harry, a spectator to the heavily-shadowed event, thought the voice was eerily familiar but couldn't really place it.**_

"_**No!" a female said, the tone reeking of panic and sheer terror.**_

"_**You **_**will**_** move aside." It was low now, a threat soon to be carried out. He heard a sob and a weak whisper.**_

"**No**_**..."**_

"_**Yes!" the other yelled in quick continuation. "Avada Kedavra!"**_

_**A green light flashed, illuminating the scene. Harry shuddered despite it being most likely made up, but he couldn't figure out why. The light revealed, if only for a brief moment, a room filled with small toys, most indiscernible, and a crib in the center guarded by a woman. Those did not catch Harry's attention; the man did. His face was lit with the green light – now a spell, he realized – in just the right way, a picture that gave away the whole of his insanity. His maniacal grin took over the lower half of his face, and the eyes...**_

**They were red.**

_**They shone with a demon's sadistic gleam. Harry was surprised that all this was 'remembered'**__** in great detail, but it was branded into his mind.**__ Everything faded._

_It took him a while to realize he was by the egg again and not in an image sequence. His breathing was heavy, and his chest felt tight. The feeling the slightly-off sphere gave off gradually lessened, making him feel better by the second. After it and the scenes ended, Harry just stared at it, mind blank._

_Then, he felt an urge. At first, he didn't recognize it but did so after his arm involuntarily reached forward. He attempted to retract his hand but could not. His face screwed up in concentration, fighting for control._

_Then, he touched the egg._

_It turned pitch black in the blink of an eye then cracks started to form. They spread all over until the whole thing had hardly any untouched pieces. Harry could suddenly control himself and pulled his body back with urgency. The egg shattered, pieces spraying everywhere, only to fade from existence after a meter. They almost reached Harry, whose eyes were wide. A terrible, high-pitched noise reached Harry's ears as a... creature broke free. It looked startlingly similar to a bunch of rags._

_With arms._

_He knew – somehow – that it in fact wasn't just that. He felt an instant connection to it, and that scared him more than Uncle Vernon. Harry clutched his hair tightly, eyes shut, as something traipsed through his mind. The creature came over to him, gliding with the tiniest bit of ice left in its wake. It made a sound that Harry knew as one of curiosity. He was suddenly a backseat driver in his own mind. He watched as his mouth formed words in a strange, guttural language._

"**Nameless dementor of England, I accept your bond. Do you also accept**_?"_

_The identified creature spoke in the same tongue, "_**I do**_."_

_Black flashed through Harry's vision, and he stumbled at the sheer pressure of the magic that surrounded them. A crash in an adjacent room startled him, and he looked up in time to see a short, hunchbacked man. Without thinking, Harry grabbed the 'pile of rags' and fled through another door. After shaking himself of the shock, the old man ran after the boy. But, by the time he had searched all of the rooms, Harry was long gone._

X

It was a year after the ritual and two since Raidon had first arrived, and he and Karasu were graduating from Shinobi Academy, Karasu ahead of those of his own age. For Raidon, it was somewhat expected by this point. He was older than the rest, and all of the teachers thought he was a genius. One sensei was handing out headbands while many of the parents watched on with pride and joy. The only person there for Karasu and Raidon was, surprisingly, Uchiha-san (as they had been expecting no one to show up). He was leaning against a tree in the back, obscured by the shadows. His red eyes glowed eerily. The two boys decided to fully concentrate on the ceremony.

"Inku Karasu," the sensei called, and the tattooed boy walked up, eyes watching him intently. He ignored them all, taking his headband in a polite bow. Another name was called as he walked off, and the rest continued in a similar manner.

"Tsuki Raidon." The teenager received his own and gave a barely acceptable bow, a light scowl dusting the sensei's face. Raidon held in a smirk; he never did like that sensei anyways. After him, various others went up, and to Raidon and Karasu, it seemed to drag on forever. However, they shut their mouths and endured it. Raidon could feel Uchiha-san's eyes on him, not glaring and not wide, just staring. He felt the urge to shift but did not. The elder would not be allowed to see that weakness, especially on this day.

Eventually, the ceremony ended. Uchiha-san sauntered up to them with a seemingly lazy, cat-like, and definitely confident gait. It still impressed them, that infinite control and sheer power just underneath the surface. He nodded to both new shinobi instead of a verbal greeting. It pleased the younger males, as it was a sign of acknowledgement, one, as far as they knew, few others got. He had a neutral face, but he allowed his eyes to show his amusement, however cruel, at whatever thoughts he had. The others stared at a spot just above his nose, the great gaze intense.

"Acceptable." His deep voice startled Karasu, the youngest shinobi visibly jumping out of his skin, while Raidon bowed deeply with reverence. This time he and Uchiha-san looked each other directly in the eyes. No words were said, Karasu not daring to interrupt the moment. Then, the Uchiha suddenly and gracefully turned around to stalk towards the mansion.

Raidon smiled.

Meanwhile, Senju Hashirama watched, unnoticed and perfectly hidden.

X

There were rumors, whispers of another war. They had the shinobi tense and the civilians frightened. It assuaged them, though, that the First and Second Hokage were working on it. The shinobi were put on more missions than before, but, strangely enough, they had nothing to do with correspondence. This obviously puzzled them. If there was to be another war, why would no attempted peace talks be made?Many newly-induced shinobi dismissed it; maybe the Hokage were taking care of everything. The older, battle-hardened warriors knew differently. Something was definitely going on.

Even though he had been recently named a chūnin along with Karasu, Raidon knew something big was being planned. It came from deep inside, instinctual, and he was tempted to say it came from the eight-tails, which had stayed silent for the longest time. It gave few clues in response to his questions regarding 'Lucifer's gift' although those brought more questions than answers, so vague in nature as they were.

_Atropos' bane..._

That was the only thing it had not answered to so far, no matter how much he asked. Raidon had not yet asked the demon about this feeling yet, thinking he could take care of it.

"Did you hear about..." Raidon was walking down the streets of Konoha, glancing at all the various wares on display at the shops. He was also, loathe as he was to admit it, eavesdropping on the local gossip. Normally, he wouldn't care what Takeshi did with his girlfriend's sister, but he had heard about something of interest earlier that day. He figured this way was the best to begin with. Raidon spotted Karasu at the ramen stand up ahead (Merlin only knew why there were so many) and went up to sit next to his friend. The smaller male took a few more spoonfuls to finish then turned to the right.

"Hey, Raidon," he greeted with a tiny smile, which the other returned. "I see you finally got out."

Raidon had been holed up in Uchiha Mansion for the past few days, researching and reading _Road to Perdition_. So far, it was pretty secretive, and even Karasu didn't know what exactly the teenager had been this excited about.

"Yes," he replied then subtly and hastily glanced about. He whispered, "I need to know about something that maybe you can help me with."

Karasu nodded and got up, Raidon following suit. "My place?"

His friend agreed, and they left.

After the relatively long walk to the Inku's house, Raidon finally spoke once they were safely inside, "What are the Nine Great Fiends?"

It was a strange term that Raidon felt he should have known. He sometimes cursed that fact that he hadn't ripped all of the eight-tails' knowledge, instead of what he had.

"The Nine..." Karasu recognized it immediately and froze. His face contorted as he had an internal struggle. Knowing to stay out, Raidon just stood there calmly. Sagging slightly, he finally let out a sigh after making a decision.

"The Nine Great Fiends, or tailed-beasts, are figures from mythology," Karasu lectured. "They were the nine leading Commanders in the Demon Realms. They had reign over many regions there and ruled with an iron fist. They, of course, made many enemies along the way, and plots were made against them.

"It varies, but myths all state that some great and terrible calamity happened. The Nine Great Fiends were blamed and cast out of the First Realm. They now walk the Hidden Countries supposedly, forced to wander the Mortal Realm for all of time."

Karasu stopped with that last bit. Raidon looked at him with a curious gaze. "Is that it?"

"Yes, that's all I read in the scrolls of the Inku personal library. They didn't have anything else unfortunately." The older male turned contemplative.

**I heard he's gone to capture them**.

Raidon had heard a whispered conversation earlier and caught a few choice words, such as 'Nine Great Fiends' and 'First Hokage'. With Karasu's information, he had found a new piece of the puzzle. Those that had been displaced still remained elusive.

But Raidon was determined to find them all and fit them together.

X

They had already started it.

His decision to rebel had not appealed to them. They claimed it foolish. But Uchiha Madara wasn't foolhardy. He knew the old fox, cunning and deceiving as ever, was plotting something. The clan, _his_ clan, didn't believe him though. They just couldn't comprehend his reasons, valid as they were. The clan had started to shun him, but it had all started when he had taken his brother's eye, voluntarily given. It had been building for the longest time, and he had sensed it, even from the very beginning.

They had respected and revered him so long ago, but Madara knew those times were long past, never to come back yet – he was not naïve. He wouldn't try to get back into the fold, wouldn't _beg for their forgiveness_.

It was below him.

His plans had discarded in an instant, but Madara had knowledge on how to make new ones. Knowledge so much more vast than those fools. He would, however, not go so far as to say that everything was going to be alright, was going to go according to plan. Instead he would grasp it in his hand and make it happen.

But, he would have to wait again, a game he hated, however necessary. This push away from his clan would be a minor setback. They had barred the way momentarily and were ready to throw him out of the village, some of them.

But not yet, he wouldn't leave just yet. He would hold on for as long as it took. Madara's clan couldn't stop him with their current manpower and position. When it all came to a point, he would leave, and by then, the ever-changing play would be rewritten. Yes, despite the obstacles, this would work in the end.

It always did.

X

_The collection is almost complete._

Raidon had 'snuck' into Uchiha-san's study after seeing the door cracked open a bit. He wasn't stupid; he knew the man had done it on purpose. However, his curiosity had gotten the better of him. On Uchiha-san's desk lay a single paper with a single sentence on it. Raidon didn't touch it but stood still for several moments, just staring with racing thoughts. He thought he understood what 'collection' this was but couldn't be certain. Raidon would need to tell Karasu about the eight-tails, and despite the trust between the two, he dreaded it.

He made his way back out of the study without trouble, plans already forming in his head. Any way he looked at it, this situation put him at a disadvantage. The hunt would soon begin, no matter what. Maybe an ally would come in handy. Besides, he had something to ask of them. However, he didn't know where to start looking. Obviously, the beasts wouldn't be walking around in corporeal form. He pondered it then suddenly the eight-tails spoke.

**My siblings would be sealed**.

Of course! The demons would most likely be in items or scrolls with protective chakra to prevent escape. Obviously, they would be hidden in places that would be difficult to find. Now, it was even more important to tell Karasu. The raven was good at puzzles.

Raidon stopped outside his room. He stared at the door for a moment, still lost in thought, then went in. He spotted his trunk that was, as usual, lying at the foot of his bed. His thoughts crashed. Maybe...

Yes, it would help.

_Road to Perdition_ might have something in it.

X

**Beast Locater Magic**

_**Introduction and Warning**_

_This type of magic is the art of finding creatures, often large in numbers. It is very precise, which is why few wizards use it. Also, strong-willed beasts have the ability to repel or throw off the magic. These are known as Nullifiers._

_Beast locating magic is not recommended for the average wizard, as vast amounts of power are needed for these. However, average wizards may get around this by linking magic. Linking magic has downfalls also and often results in death or permanent magic transferal. Certain processes or "shortcuts" may sometimes prevent this (for more information, see pages192 – 203)._

_Beast locater magic should only be preformed if a wizard is in dire need. Other methods, such as consulting an AniMage, are advisable._

_**Beast Types**_

_According to many theories, including Heraclitus', it is possible to call out all creatures. Although this is true, certain ones will be attracted with a greater force to the summoning wizard. This is due to the nature of, or element of, the wizard. If a wizard has a minor affinity with Fire, creatures of a similar nature will be located easier.  
_

_The size of the beast does not matter nor does the non-elemental classification (hybrid, bird, dragon, etc.). The intelligence of it is the most important factor in locating it. If it is one of lower intelligence, it will reveal its location instantaneously. Another with a higher one will have a stronger aura (see pages 358 – 429 for more information) that protects it._

_The aura is semi-sentential and will guard the beast against location magic. This is why the wizard has to be strong or link magic for successful beast locater magic..._

Raidon stopped there and didn't flip the page in _Road to Perdition_, Karasu finishing after him. He had finally told the Inku everything a week ago. It seemed like forever, but Karasu came around fairly quickly. Raidon told the other about his suspicions of the First Hokage and the capture of the Nine Great Fiends. They knew they had no hope of finding one on their own without some sort of help and couldn't ask just anyone.

"The tailed-beasts will have strong auras," Karasu stated. Raidon nodded gravely. They looked at each other and suddenly knew what the other was thinking. "We have to link our chakra."

Mind made up after a long moment, Raidon flipped to the first page on linking.

X

Karasu and Raidon sat in their usual places in the little abandoned forest with Judas watching over. The familiar hadn't grown much in two years, and it would take many more years to reach adulthood. He was a very capable dementor, though, and would guard the two fiercely.

"We don't know which Great Fiend he still has," Karasu started.

Raidon finished, "And their auras are going to make it extremely hard to find them."

They knew that linking would take care of the second problem, but the two shinobi were still worried. Numerous things could still go wrong. They stayed in silence for a moment before Raidon spoke, "Beast locating requires that we pick a specific kind – or, in this case, just one – and which one do we choose?"

The Tsuki's own demon twisted within its cage.

**Nekomata, Death's favorite.**

He only realized he had repeated it aloud when Karasu looked startled. A grin slowly crept up his lips.

"This is perfect," the older said, adopting a thinking pose. "We have an equal affinity."

"...But its aura?" The Tsuki hummed. "Is it going to be stronger than most of the others or not?"

Raidon responded, "Stronger."

He paused then explained, "Nekomata is Death's pet, Its slave. It cannot escape... but that does not mean that they don't play games. A never ending game of cat and mouse. Survival is essential; it doesn't have extra lives like the other Great Fiends. Death would not be so forgiving.

"To survive is to know how to play the game."

Despite the stronger aura, they decided to go with Nekomata. Raidon and Karasu worked on their plans to capture it well into the night, as Uchiha-san no longer forced a curfew upon Raidon. Then soon, they would link their chakra.

X

Someone once told her that They are immortal, have infinite lives. As a child, she had never believed her elders. Everything had its end... right?

She had been wrong, so horribly and frighteningly wrong.

Fū had been eight when that thing was sealed inside of her.

To save the village, they said. A load of shit, she sneered. They were just stuck-up bastards who immersed themselves into politics, too weak to be of any use. But perhaps that was the beast speaking. It had taken over a part of her mind now, and Fū was helpless to stop its advances upon her mind. It drove her mad, spurts of insanity spilling forth from time to time. The village had isolated her. After all, she was a Jailer, an abomination. Fū chuckled bitterly. It whispered to her constantly now. Its blood lust was seemingly never satiated. It wanted massacre and to revel in Death.

She had tried to kill herself once, long ago. It didn't work. She had woken up days later with nothing but healing scars and blood pooled around her. Alive. It had scared her and amazed her in equal parts. Then, she had tried later to kill herself again, taking suicidal missions left and right. It was then that she discovered she too could not die. It horrified her, and Fū had broken down.

Despite all the benefits – the inhuman strength, large chakra reserves, and so much more – it wasn't worth it. She knew she would have to watch all those around her die, never aging one bit. The seven-tails, the monstrous beetle demon took that despair to its advantage, molding her into a massive ball of hatred.

Why did they have to seal it inside of her?

Would couldn't they help her?

So many questions swirled around in her head, not a single one positive. They fueled her though, her fits of rage something to be feared. Whole troops of shinobi fell to their knees in front of her, begging for sweet, sweet death. Fū had granted their wish. After torturing them to their end.

Now she hid, fearing for her life. She had found how to die – extracting the beast inside of her. When the beast's powers had left, she would be mortal once more. Fū had gotten over her suicidal thoughts eventually (mostly because of the seven-tails' influences). The man, death to all Jailers, was coming for her.

Despite being not very religious, she prayed desperately.

X

Karasu and Raidon were sitting facing each other in a clearing past the Konoha walls. Now jōnin, they could officially spend a little time beyond the village (on the excuse of training, of course). The actual reason for being there was highly different. They were preparing to link their chakra.

They had both finished the meditative stage at the same exact moment – they had to. It was crucial for the two to do everything in sync. They had practiced beforehand (without the chakra) and knew each other well enough by this point that it was within the realm of possibility.

Now, they extended their chakra beyond their bodily prisons, Raidon's a strange green and Karasu's a deep, bordering on black, blue. Sweat was pouring off their bodies at the effort. Their energies touched at the same time, almost tentative at first, then the chakra took on a lives of their own. They intertwined, dancing to an unheard tune. They were completely out of Raidon and Karasu's control now. Then, they mixed, green and blue becoming one, visible to even the untrained eye now. It flared, sending out a massive chakra signal as some of the eight-tails' bled through in the form of black sludge. Those that were extremely chakra sensitive felt a sudden shudder wrack their bodies but did not know the reason. The two had known this would happen all along, and they were safe. The Sensors couldn't locate them; they didn't know about the demon Raidon housed.

The Inku and Tsuki opened their eyes as the energy retreated back into their bodies. They looked at each other and smiled, large grins gracing their lips.

"It worked," they said in tandem, feeling more energized than before. It was strange, though, that they didn't feel tired as much as they ought to. Raidon decided not to worry about it at the moment as Karasu came up and hugged him. He also ignored the strange feeling he got at Karasu's contact.

X

He felt something but did not lift his head. He continued on as normal, speaking to Sarutobi Hiruzen, enticing, seducing. The young adult – not yet a man – watched and listened cautiously, playing the game.

He multitasked while Sarutobi responded, placing a simple genjutsu on him and activating the mangekyou. The chakra of the world revealed itself, and although not to the extent of the Hyuuga, it was enough to see the black sludge hanging above the trees in the distance. He removed the jutsu that fooled the other's eyes and deactivated the advanced eye technique, eyes taking on the form of that demonic red with commas lazily circling once more.

Uchiha Madara's lips did not twitch; his eyes did not betray him. But he was intrigued. It was all going according to the script, yes, but it was an edit.

Madara continued to knot and twist his chain around Sarutobi, voice subtly changed. The man-boy would benefit his plans greatly, and he intended to have the younger.

He would, of course, pay attention to the Tsuki and his young friend. Yet, he would not act, not test.

There were others for that.

X

Hyuuga Yuri's head lifted suddenly.

She was at the ramen bar and enjoying beef-flavored bowl of the wonderful food. Others nearby, thankfully all civilians, looked at her strangely then dismissed it. After all, shinobi always did weird things. Other shinobi, however, would not have been so merciful. One simply did not do that without good reason.

As if in a trance, she got up, walking through the streets. Yuri avoided civilians with practiced ease, twisting and twirling like a cat. She used some of the less favorable alleyways. Nothing mattered but the goal.

In a sense, she knew _exactly_ where she was going. Her conscious mind shunned it, but it was there always, clamoring for attention. Yuri had ignored that day a year ago as best as she could. The monstrosity had haunted her for a week after that with nightmares reigning, seeming so very, very real. The sensei and shinobi was terrified.

Yet, at the same time, a deep anger and longing for revenge stirred within her. They churned to create a potent mixture, one that, with fear, puzzled her greatly. It had consumed her life for a bit – disturbingly real for an equally unimaginable situation.

So, in that sense, it was obvious why she was going, running, instead of staying, cowering away from the dream-like truth. It would be better to face it then have _that_ happen again.

Yuri made her way to the Konoha gates, slowing to a sedate walk, yet still following the trail she knew as if she were an elite Sensor. The lead was clear to her, and she wondered why more were not rushing over. Did they not _feel_ the chakra, that Damned soul? But, it was a fleeting thought and disappeared quickly.

Yuri left the Konoha walls.

X

Karasu and Raidon broke from the embrace. Something was coming. It wasn't so much that they heard anything or felt another person's chakra, but it was a sixth sense, an unexplainable occurrence. They both lifted their heads to look in different directions. They needed not as a twig was deliberately broken some four meters away and immediately faced it to see a shinobi, one long forgotten named Hyuuga-san. She stood there with her normal serious look, but a small frown soon pulled at her lips faintly. Her eyes were almost imperceptibly glazed. Karasu's lips also turned downwards ever so slightly. Then, her eyes cleared, and his mouth straightened.

"Hyuuga-san," Raidon said, inclining his head just a little. The woman did not return it. They eyed each other, not bothering to hide it. Karasu stood off to the side, not interfering yet. Hyuuga-san should not have been there. It was puzzling to say the least, and he knew they had to be cautious. Those eyes were of a dangerous sort. Also, she could have told someone else or even the rest of the clan, he realized as he recognized her suddenly. But still, why wait until now?

The eighteen year old Tsuki was taller than Hyuuga-san (who was probably in her thirties) and thus had an added bonus for intimidation. But, she still had her chakra hidden, even in plain sight. The Hyuuga was biding her time.

Suddenly, she released her chakra, both males feeling the great power. A split second later, Raidon let out some of his own, careful not to draw from Karasu.

"Byakugan!" Hyuuga-san shouted in that moment. She could see the normal rivers and core of his chakra, but they had onyx molasses-like substances in the center of it all. However, not one to be distracted, she rushed forward, seeing a weakness. She used her bare hand, void of chakra, attempting to gauge his defenses. He moved fast, but as she moved, the black chakra spread out a little more. Raidon ducked under her jab, rolling on the ground and grabbing his staff on the way. It was the one he had made in Knockturn Alley, and was careful yet experienced in handling the sharp blades. He fell into a crouching position, staff held out. Hyuuga-san fell into her own stance, one that hinted in a strength in speed. Raidon narrowed his eyes, forgetting most else in the favor of battle. More experienced, the other kept her eyes on the Tsuki and looked for the Inku, who hung back, perched and expertly hidden in a tree somewhere.

Raidon knew this would be a tough battle with an opponent like this. She also had the advantage in speed. He was getting slower with each bit of the eight-tail's chakra leaking through his system. But, he knew he was probably much better at defense. Still, he would need some help. Raidon concentrated briefly on the bond he had with Judas but didn't say anything aloud. He wanted his little dementor to be an unexpected opponent to her. Already though, the shadows had started to gather, most unnoticed. Hopefully, the woman wouldn't detect them for a bit.

She didn't rush at him again just yet, preferring to stare at him. Then, she shifted her eyes ever-so slightly, and Raidon knew she was going to attack. Hyuuga-san's speed seemed to have increased from last time, and she went with her bare hands again. She jabbed to the left of his head, and he tilted it, bringing up one of the staff's blades to nearly cut her hand off as it returned. While her right was withdrawing, the left quickly went for the moved head with a palm. His right hand let go of the staff, reaching up to grab her wrist centimeters from his face, and the other moved up to get a better grip on the weapon. Using his weight, he drug her by her wrist to one direction then spun her around and off the ground with a chakra-enhanced grip. Raidon pointed the ends of the blades towards her as she came around that small distance.

Before she was impaled, however, the Hyuuga's chakra burst from her body in a tangible, opaque sphere that repelled the staff and Raidon. Holding tightly unto his weapon, he went flying into the air. Wasting no time, Hyuuga-san lept into the air with a boost , going above Raidon to hit him with a palm that intended to block chakra. When she drew level with him, he had his staff coming towards her side, prepared to hit her with the blunt side. Eyes darting quickly to her other side to see a line of trees, the Hyuuga saw that she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Her chakra flared out in a sphere again, more powerful on the blade front. She held the back of it as the front dissipated, softening the blow from the trees. For a split second, she sensed the Inku's chakra, but then it disappeared again, almost like magic. Meanwhile, Raidon held on to the staff in two hands tightly, landing on his feet and sliding back with grass tearing up on the way. Hyuuga-san hastily got to her feet and adjusted her stance once more, surveying with new information. It looked like she was going to go even faster now.

Raidon decided to give up wasting his chakra on a speed he could never keep up with and took down the 'dams' – so to speak – that separated the normal and demon chakra. It flooded his system, and he saw his opponent's split-second flinch. The scales on his body seemed denser, weighing him down, as was the cost of the eight-tails. He could no longer use his usual disguise as his tail as a belt, and it unwound to clap on the ground. Her eyes flew to it, surprise showing through despite all that shinobi training. It seemed she then cleared her mind because all of a sudden the woman rushed at him. Hyuuga-san reached him in no time, and Raidon had barely any time to raise the staff with his right hand and stab it towards her left. Thinking he couldn't dodge, she did the same as last time, reaching with her own right.

And, he didn't dodge.

He brought up his forearm to block something that would have broken a civilian's arm. But just barely. He had a feeling she was holding back, but he didn't know why. Also, Raidon was sure it was chakra-boosted.

Then why do that?

Suddenly, when she leaped back several meters. Next, Hyuuga-san was at his side, and his staff was swung in a wide arch at an angle. She had to duck in order to not be beheaded. She changed her plans quickly and went for his legs. He predictably jumped up. But, he continued with the staff's motion and cut under himself as he leaped. She rolled out of the way several times, going to a crouched position after the last. The Hyuuga now definitely has something up her sleeve. Faster than the eye could blink, she had already made a couple of hand signs.

"Wind Release Jutsu: Chains of Justice!" she yelled, finishing with 'dog'. The air in their surroundings condensed and wrapped around Raidon's wrists, becoming a faint white-purple, while the breathing portion became thinner. He hissed a nonsensical word in Parseltongue, as it stung like a severe rope burn, and Hyuuga-san yanked them back with one hand, the other ready to do damage. Thinking fast and using a previously untried idea, Raidon forced some chakra _down_ the chains. The green pulsed and oozed its way down, and her own, the same white-purple, met his racing. Before a battle of wills could ensue, the demonic black sludge intermingled with the green to carry down into the woman's chakra. It covered her hands disgustingly then _sank into them_. The Hyuuga's eyes fully widened, and at that exact moment, the shadows that had been gathering in a corner unseen pooled and deepened. A chill filled the air, sinking into the her very bones (Raidon and, by extension, Karasu didn't feel it), as Judas appeared, angered by what he had seen through his Master's mind.

"_**Master**_." The single word spoken in that foreign, frightening language, unheard of to the woman before, was enough to freeze her completely in her tracks.

"_**Judas**_," Raidon acknowledged in the same tongue, letting his affection show in only his eyes and tone. Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, Hyuuga-san let go of the elemental chains, and Raidon wasted no time jumping back. She scrunched up her face in utter pain, confusing Raidon.

Then, she screamed. No, not in a painful way, surrendering hope. _This_ was the call of a wild, crazed animal cornered in a cage. She ran at Raidon and slammed into him violently. Judas rattled in anger and rushed over. Forgetting everything about chakra, she had her hands positioned around his throat. Before the familiar got there, however, a blur got past. Sharp, black claws embedded in her neck, spraying blood everywhere when the jugular was hit. A wraith's screech was heard, high and clear, as the hand with claws came back, spine grasped in its clutches. The spine broke clean with a sickening sound, and her body slumped forward. Raidon stared at it for a second then pushed it off of him. He was unconcerned about another enemy after a second, as Karasu's tattooed face, hair disheveled and golden eyes worried, filled his vision.

"Are you okay?" his friend asked. He nodded silently then got up. His eyes automatically sought out his friend, ignoring the corpse.

"Are _you_ okay?" the older asked. Karasu searched his eyes and smiled.

"As long as you are."

The decided quickly after that to let Judas dispose of the body. Karasu expertly erased the lingering presences of all three shinobi's chakra, and they left after Raidon restored his disguise. Karasu had had subtle 'visitors' to his house lately and thus went with his friend to Uchiha Manor in secret. With luck, no one would be there at this time of day.

When they stepped into the second floor library on the way to Raidon's room, Uchiha-san was there, reading a thick book. The two younger ones straightened up, and all three males eyes each other coolly. The Uchiha gave a slight nod in their direction, but it was hard to determine who it was aimed at. The man turned back to his book, clearly dismissing them. The other two left without a word.

X

The beast was beautiful.

It thrashed and roared tremendously, seemingly enough to shake whole mountains. Eyes scanned every little piece of it. The beast was trapped deep in a pit in the otherwise white landscape. His surroundings were of his own creation and were complex mazes of blocks, traps, and empty spaces. Few had seen it, all had died. But, the beast would not; it was needed.

The pit it was attempting to get out of was dark, a large contrast to its brighter counterparts. Yet, even through the darkness, light from the beast's fur, its inner fire, burned and lit it up. The shadow play would have been amazing and terrifying to anyone else, but he didn't care.

He had read the sacred Uchiha archives hidden underground (with the key in Senju territory, how clever) and discovered something completely fascinating, all those years ago. And, now, he finally had the beast in his clutches.

Madara was going to see if the First Uchiha Ancestor was correct.

His hands rapidly moved, and he calmly said, "Water Release Jutsu: Pressure Blast."

The highly condensed water shot from his mouth and hit its flank. Boiling hot steam rose from the air and clouded the pit, as the beast gave a resounding roar of pain. It madly shook to and fro again with an open mouth the revealed jagged, sharp teeth. Then, it opened it eyes as it turned to uncontrollably yowl at the 'sky', and Madara caught its eyes at long last. In the same exact moment the gazes connected with each other, mangekyou bled into his.

In an instant, the Uchiha felt _glorious_ control, complete command over the beast's powers. Then, it started to fight back, and they both knew what it was: a battle of wills. The beast gave up quite a fight, and for once, Madara's eyes shone with a power-intoxicated fire that held a good amount of tainted gleefulness. Now, _this_ was a challenge. The flames twined and danced with silent, malicious laughter as he had to put some more effort in, mental strength proving itself. A deep chuckle, barely audible, echoed in the space, nothing more.

Then, the beast's black eyes lightened and changed to a crimson as red as its fur, and black commas swirled around a large pupil hastily – the sharingan.

Madara had won.

Instead of making some complex system of hand signs, the Uchiha simply commanded the beast mentally. The opened scroll with seals over every bit at his feet glowed, and the beast disappeared into thin air.

X

They sat across from each other, seated at a long, ornate table. The hand-carved designs would have made anyone marvel at them, but not these three. The room they were in was small and smelled earthy, shadows creeping all around. There was little light, and it came from above, a hole in the roof that also let in breathing air. Although, it could be easily covered, all three knew. A wooden door, crude, was the only other way out and was behind the two. It amused the last that their secret meeting was held in a long-forgotten, underground interrogation room.

A most peculiar item, a deer's antler, was laid in front of the two. The other had nothing.

"You have brought it," the lone one said.

"Of course," the one with the white hair answered, his frown obvious. "You doubt us?"

"No." It was said calmly, the owner of the voice thinking he had nothing to fear.

"Enough," the previously unspoken one said, sensing the lie. "We shall prove that it is genuine."

"Brother-" the white haired one next to him said.

"Silence," the other brother interrupted. He picked up the antler, and it could be seen more clearly in the light. It was normal, except for the color; a white of the brightest hue, previously thought impossible on such an item. He infused some chakra in his hand then ran it down the side gently, drawing out something. The lone figure waited in well-hidden anticipation. The one with the antler drew his hand back, only to come back with sand, like a magnet. He twirled it lazily for a moment before pushing more chakra into his hand. Suddenly, killing intent exploded in the room, massive in its pressure. The lone figure thought he heard a faint roar. A wind picked up, circulating around the room. An outline of a four-legged creature formed above the antler and steadily got more corporeal. Then, the man let the chakra drain out of his hand and back into his core. It all stopped – the wind, the sand, the pressure. The silence spoke loud and clear:

_Was that proof enough?_

The lone man fingered the black mask of a large raccoon carved into the table and hummed, a neutral sound.

"It is an acceptable token," he spoke at last. "I assume the other Countries have received the same type of 'gifts'?"

The other two did not answer the question. The white-haired brother instead asked, "You will sign, then?"

"Yes." The brothers could practically see the thoughts running through the other's head. Plans of carefully calculated attacks, plots to upsurge Konoha itself – all despite this peace offering. In a way, it was an illusion. In the back of their minds, they _knew_ they needed this, this challenge hidden in peace. They _needed_ the thrill of battle, and this was the perfect plan to get just that. These things, these beasts, these _monstrosities_ were the keys to unlocking the greatest game of them all, a power-play akin to the legendary, and perhaps imaginary, war of the Gods. _This_ was what shinobi, mankind needed.

For what was a world without the bad, the evil? Perfect.

And perfection doesn't exist.

X

It was three days after the 'Hyuuga Incident' as they had dubbed it, and Karasu and Raidon were now on a mission. They had to deliver a scroll to the leader of a civilian village on the outskirts of the Fire Country. According to the Hokage, it was a simple mission, although they _did_ have to watch out for rogue shinobi wanting to steal it (not that there were many, apparently). There was, of course, a three-man team, which included a random shinobi with a long, difficult-to-pronounce name. They all were silent as they jumped from branch to branch with a slightly slower than average speed.

After linking their chakra, there seemed to be no terrible and horrifying consequences. However, little things kept popping up. They could suddenly feel each other's emotions (to an extent) one day, and the next, they could finish each other's sentences. It was the oddest thing, however they did nothing about it, besides keeping an eye out for new additions. The good thing about this was they felt stronger and more energized most of the time. The two now practiced more often but not enough that there was any suspicion as to the sudden change.

Also, Raidon noticed, Karasu had been acting strange lately. He was curious about the behavior but didn't push it. The younger boy had been holed up in his house for the day before the mission, and not even Raidon was allowed in. Karasu had been clingy ever since then, not letting Raidon out of his sight, unusual because the boy normally wandered off for a little bit each day. Raidon supposed they were lucky that they had this mission together.

"Let's walk from here," Raidon announced quietly, slowing down before stopping completely and jumping down. The other two, having already deemed him leader, followed suit, and soon, all three could see the village just a few kilometers away.

"Finally," the random shinobi groused, unable to hold back after so long. Both Raidon and Karasu silently agreed, even if they didn't show it.

But, he had spoken too soon.

A kunai with an exploding tag attached landed at Raidon's feet, and he quickly hopped away, as did the other two shinobi. The young adult put a hand on the bladed staff on his back ready to be withdrawn. Karasu's eyes darted to and fro, searching for their mysterious attacker and ignoring the exploding tag that blew up, now safely out of range. Their teammate pulled out a kunai. Laughter rang out through the trees, melodious and chilling. Karasu stiffened subtly, several intense emotions bombarding Raidon at once.

Terror.

Sorrow.

Then, _rage_, the strongest of them all.

"Oh, little Inku, how you've grown. I've been waiting for this, this challenge, for _oh so_ long." A titter. "Why, you're so lovely to look at now."

They could all hear the wide grin in that last sentence. A tiny, enraged-bird-like sound escaped Karasu. The tattoos whirled, twisted, and danced on his skin, forming shapes and letting them go seconds later. It was a beautiful and fascinating sight, and Raidon had to rip his eyes away.

"Wonderful!" It was again that voice. A light wind brushed their clothes stirring up some leaves on the ground then suddenly was gone, leaving, somehow, the sensation of the owner of the voice's departure. The three-man team turned as one, when two young, childish voices chuckled too. Two identical trees were in front of the team, and faces formed on the trees, symmetrical also. Wooden eyes looked to the team as smiles blossomed.

"Mistress is expecting you," they said together, "so we're going to bring you to Her."

What looked like legs extended from the trees' bases. It was a vague blob at first but then shaped into a more definite form. The rest of their bodies, still wooden, came out of the trees in a similar manner, and it was an otherworldly sight. After they were fully out, the wood rapidly colored, as if some painter were there. The ending result was a set of twins, one boy, one girl, still with those smiles.

And, all in a minute.

Snapping out of his shock, Karasu and Raidon's teammate stepped forward with an attack pose. Raidon assumed that he just wanted to deliver the scroll without trouble and to get out of there. However, the twins had no visible weapons and made no move to attack just yet.

"Mistress would be pleased if you came without a fuss, little birdy," the girl directed towards Karasu. She looked at the Konoha shinobi with great intensity, while her twin looked around lazily.

"A feline spys upon us, sister," the other remarked, finished with his search. The girl made a noncommittal sound.

She responded, "The Piece shall come out in time."

"Get out of our way!" the teammate interrupted. The two children turned to him. Their blank, expressionless faces scared him, but he refused to back down. The shinobi tilted his head back bit, nose in the air.

"We're only here for the bird," they said together. Raidon stepped in front of his friend protectively, eyes narrowed. Suddenly, their hands made rapid signs, perfect once more in their symmetry.

"Wood Release Jutsu: Strangling Roots!" Tree roots popped up out of the ground and moved forwards, leaping and twining like fish over and under the earth. They reached out like sentient vines, trying to grab a hold of any of the three-man team. The team jumped up and out of the way to land in trees. The roots followed, winding up their perches. Karasu made his own hand signs.

"Wind Release Jutsu: Air Razors!" he called, swiping his hand sideways at the roots. Invisible blades raced forwards to slice them in half, stopping the roots in their tracks. He repeated the gesture twice more to help Raidon and their teammate. Meanwhile, the twins were just watching.

"Impressive, birdy," the girl drawled. "Now, the real fun starts."

The boy immediately sunk into the ground, becoming just a pile of dirt. The other twin started off with 'dog', making more in rapid succession. Seeing this, the three leaped into action. The teammate teleported with a swirl of leaves to hide somewhere nearby. Karasu pulled out a kunai, ready to attack in coordination to what Raidon's actions were going to be. Raidon preformed his own hand signs, finishing before the girl, and called out, "Earth Release Jutsu: Spikes!"

The girl lost her concentration, losing the jutsu, as spikes made of dirt formed and shot out at an angle. She jumped out of the way, but with a single sign, more appeared in a cluster. She leaped up to avoid them, and then Karasu struck. Chakra-propelled, he rushed towards her to follow into the air above her. He slashed at her with the weapon, gravity bringing the two down. He just barely missed as she twisted out of the way. Meanwhile, Raidon had his staff drawn, on the ground, looking for the last half of the twin. So far, he saw nothing. The girl and Karasu separated upon reaching the earth, the male going back, next to Raidon. Raidon made a sign again, spikes coming up once more, surprising her.

Karasu quickly used Wind Release Jutsu: Air Razors again, sending the invisible daggers at her. She ducked her head, them just barely missing and close enough to clip her long, flying hair. Something glimmered in her eyes but was covered up immediately. She then grinned.

"Think fast, little bird!" she yelled. Her grin remained pasted on as she ran towards them, only a blur to some. She went to punch Raidon, while Karasu separated hastily to the side. The oldest blocked it with his staff and pulled the fist back as he turned the bladed staff to slice her. She only got nicked. The Inku tried to throw a punch of his own behind her, and she twirled to catch it. She let go, though, as Raidon jabbed his weapon out like a spear. She jumped to avoid it, drawing out shuriken and throwing them downwards to cut off the males' heads. Raidon preformed a jutsu in haste.

"Earth Release Jutsu: Sand Dome." A shell of dirt and grass formed above them, just in time to catch the shuriken. Raidon moved his hand with some effort as she landed to destroy the dome, bulging outwards to throw the weapons back. She threw some kunai to hit the shuriken and deflect them, sending them to imbed into nearby trees. However, one had a different course and hit Karasu in the arm. He was only able to save his arm from being cut off by pushing chakra to the area for defense. Still, it was a deep wound. The Inku pulled it out as he turned sideways to avoid a kunai jab from the girl. She was about to hit but Raidon's shell shifted over to take the blow. The dirt was quick, despite all appearances, and wound around the kunai to engulf her hand.

Her eyes widened almost imperceptivly, and she tugged her hand back. Or at least tried to. The dirt struck on strong and started to become denser. Her hand rapidly became heavier and heavier. While she struggled to free her hand, Karasu moved around the dirt to slash at her. As it came close to her, the girl grabbed it skillfully, mere centimeters from her heart. She tried to use chakra (for extra strength) to fling the Inku. Instead, the weapon was sent flying as Karasu let go, but not before he was sent several meters away, skidding. She tried to remove her hand once more while Raidon still concentrated on the jutsu.

Karasu came at her again, and in desperation, she used a single sign to teleport, leaving her hand behind in a spray of blood. Raidon dropped the shell, the lone hand falling to the ground. The scent of blood permeated the air, and the girl came out of the trees, an unusual scowl on her face.

What happened next seemed to be in slow motion.

Karasu's nose picked up the scent of blood, and immediately, something in his golden eyes _changed_. He screeched loudly, an avian call. His marks suddenly formed into what looked like feathers. His fingernails grew long and sharp, blackening. His eyes seemed wild now, untamed and bloodthirsty. The killing intent in the forest raised drastically. He was almost completely an animal now.

He rushed towards the girl, who was frozen in shock, with his claws extended. She tried to move out of the way, but he was too fast in his transformed state. Raidon watched on, keeping an eye out for the boy, as the girl got a claw to the chest. His hand dug in, reaching the heart with terrifying precision and squeezed the organ. It stopped immediately, and the male withdrew his hand, blood dripping and spraying in massive amounts.

A scream interrupted the grotesque moment, and the two shinobi turned to the direction immediately. Raidon gave his friend an unreadable glance then started off to see what it was: the boy or their teammate. In a matter of minutes, they found the lone body, already cooling, of their teammate. His mouth was frozen in an agonized scream, eyes open and wide. Although, the remaining twin was still missing, setting them on alert.

"Gotcha." It was a whisper, filled with tainted delight, but was clearly heard in the quiet forest. Quick arms wrapped around Karasu's middle as the twin boy popped out of the ground. In rapid succession, several things happened. First, Karasu reacted swiftly, driving his claws into the arms holding him. Second, Raidon slashed his bladed staff hastily, fearing for the Inku. Third and lastly, there was a feline yowl as something ran out in a blur and leaped to catch the twin in a graceful arch.

The result was interesting, to say the least. The boy grimaced, pausing those precious few seconds, when the claws hit and tore skin and muscle. He ducked his head after that, the slash cutting above his head closely. In the process of dodging, he couldn't avoid the third attack: another young girl. She came in on all fours like a wild animal. She had a strange, visible chakra around her, cloaking her. Part of it formed small cat ears and two long, sleek tails. She landed flying into the boy's side, making him let go of the Inku, as she knocked him down. He tried to sink back into the ground, but she clawed his eye fiercely first. Still, he managed it. She growled and swiveled her head this way and that.

Raidon and Karasu just watched.

She reached out a hand after sensing something, and the chakra extended to go underground, 'hand' reaching out with claws. She had apparently grabbed something and jerked her arm back sharply. While all this was going on, Raidon gasped sharply as he realized something about the girl.

She was what they were looking for.

_The Nekomata_.

Her hand cut into the twin's head until it was halfway in, as he was propelled forward by her other. She let him go, his body falling to the ground after she removed her hand. She wiped her hand on the black shorts, and then Raidon stepped forward.

"Are you the Nekomata carrier?" She tensed and slowly turned her head to their direction, eying them with an expressionless face.

"Yes."

Karasu came forward too. "Has _he_ captured you?"

They all knew who _he_ was, and the tension rose.

"Perhaps," was all she said and then continued after a brief silence, "I-"

The girl, however, was cut off. She yowled, clutching her forehead in pain. She pulled back her hands to look at the blood on them with horror. The two males could see faint lines etching themselves there, seemingly random scribbles. There was a low growl from her, and then white light shone from the lines. She fell to her knees.

Then, the Nekomata carrier just... disappeared. There was no crack like apparation or anything left behind like the shinobi version.

Karasu and Raidon had lost the chance as soon as it had come. Silence reigned.

X

END of Eyes That See (Part One)

**TBL**: Did that make up for all this time? Probably not. XD Anyways, a few notes are needed. First, there's no Madara x Sarutobi pairing (:shudder:). There was nothing sexual intended in that scene. Second, about not translating the jutsu into English... Well, if I did that, I'd most likely screw up monumentally and translators are shit. Japanese: 1, Seth:0. So, needless to say, it's in English. Third, the part about the kyuubi (as if you didn't already know that!) and Madara was written before the manga chapters about Kushina and her little fox problem came out. And I'm not going to change it just for the sake of those. I guess that's it.

Oh, and just for those who care, I've got up to chapter seven completely outlined. Hopefully, those'll help.


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